Carol Ross Barney Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Carol Ross Barney
Barney at the Chicago Riverwalk section she designed
Born	April 12, 1949 (1949-04-12) (age 76) Chicago, Illinois, United States
Alma mater	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (B.Arch., 1971), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (M.Arch., 1984)
Occupation	Architect
Awards	2023 AIA Gold Medal 2021 Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum National Design Award for Architecture and Interior Design 2021 Lincoln Academy of Illinois Order of Lincoln Award 2018 Honorary ASLA Member 2017 AIA Chicago Lifetime Achievement Award 2013 AIA COTE Top Ten Green Project Award 2013 AIA Divine Detail Award, Citation of Merit

Practice	Ross Barney Architects
Projects	New Oklahoma City Federal Building, Chicago Riverwalk

Carol Ross Barney (born in 1949) is a famous American architect. She started her own company, Ross Barney Architects. In 2023, she won the AIA Gold Medal, which is one of the highest honors for an architect.

Carol Ross Barney was the first woman to design a federal building. This was the new Oklahoma City Federal Building. It replaced the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building after a terrible bombing. Her other important projects include the JRC Synagogue, the CTA Morgan Street Station, and the amazing Chicago Riverwalk.

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About Carol Ross Barney

Early Life and Education

Carol Ross Barney was born in Chicago, Illinois, on April 12, 1949. She went to public schools in Chicago. When she was nine, her family moved to West Germany for a few years.

After returning to the Chicago area, she attended Regina Dominican, an all-girls Catholic high school. She then studied architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. She earned her first degree in architecture in 1971 and a master's degree in 1984.

Working for a Better World

Right after college, Carol joined the U.S. Peace Corps. She worked in Costa Rica to help protect national parks. Her projects included planning for coral reef protection and restoring old buildings. She also helped design housing for park workers.

After the Peace Corps, Carol worked at a firm called Holabird and Root in Chicago. There, she learned a lot from her mentor, John A. Holabird. She worked on projects like restoring the Chicago Public Library.

Supporting Women in Architecture

In 1973, Carol helped start Chicago Women in Architecture (CWA). She was the first president of this group. Later, she advised on two important exhibitions about women architects. Through CWA, she became close friends with Natalie deBlois, another pioneering woman in architecture.

Starting Her Own Firm

In 1981, Carol Ross Barney opened her own architecture firm in Chicago. Her college friend, James Jankowski, joined her later. For many years, the firm was known as Ross Barney + Jankowski.

In 1983, Carol received a special fellowship. This allowed her to travel to Europe. She studied how cities were rebuilt after World War II.

Designing Important Buildings

In 2001, construction began on the new Oklahoma City Federal Building. Carol Ross Barney was chosen as the lead designer. The goal was to create a building that was safe but also welcoming. It needed to show the open spirit of American democracy.

Carol has also taught architecture since 1976. She has been a professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology since 1994. She teaches advanced design and helps guide the College of Architecture.

Through her firm, Carol has designed many award-winning projects. In 2005, she received the Thomas Jefferson Award from the AIA. This award honors architects who design great public buildings.

One of her most famous recent projects is the expansion of the Chicago Riverwalk. This project won many awards. Because of this and her other achievements, Carol received the AIA Chicago Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.

Carol continues to lead design projects at Ross Barney Architects.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Carol Ross Barney has received many awards for her amazing work. Here are some of them:

2023 AIA Gold Medal
2021 Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum National Design Award for Architecture and Interior Design
2021 Lincoln Academy of Illinois Order of Lincoln Award
2019 Fast Company Magazine named her firm one of The World's Most Innovative Companies in Architecture.
2019 Illinois Green Alliance Emerald Award for the McDonald's Chicago Flagship.
2018 Honorary ASLA Member (American Society of Landscape Architects).
2017 AIA Chicago Lifetime Achievement Award.
2013 AIA COTE Top Ten Green Project Award for the Swenson Civil Engineering Building.
2013 AIA Divine Detail Award for the Chicago Riverwalk - Underbridge Canopy Detail.
2012 Chicago AIA Distinguished Building Award for CTA Morgan Station.
2009 AIA COTE Top Ten Green Project Award for Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation.
2002 AIA Institute Honor Award for Architecture for the Little Village Academy.
1992 Federal Design Achievement Award for the Glendale Heights Post Office.

Carol is also a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects. Her drawings have been shown in famous museums. These include the Art Institute of Chicago and the National Building Museum.

Selected Projects

Here are some of the notable buildings and projects Carol Ross Barney has designed:

O'Hare International Airport Multi-modal Terminal, Chicago, Illinois (2019)
Lincoln Park Zoo Visitor's Center, Chicago, Illinois (2018)
McDonald's Chicago Flagship, Chicago, Illinois (2018)
Chicago Riverwalk, Chicago, Illinois (2016)
Cermak-McCormick Place station, Chicago, Illinois (2015)
Fermilab, Office Technical and Education Building, Batavia, Illinois (2014)
Ohio State University South Campus Central Chiller Plant, Columbus, Ohio (2013)
University of Chicago Child Development Center Drexel, Chicago, Illinois (2013)
CTA Morgan station, Chicago, Illinois (2012)
James I. Swenson Civil Engineering Building, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, Minnesota (2010)
Washington University Childcare Facility, St. Louis, Missouri (2010)
Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation Synagogue, Evanston, Illinois (2008)
Champaign Public Library, Champaign, Illinois (2008)
New Oklahoma City Federal Building, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (2005)
Little Village Academy, Chicago, Illinois (1996)

Images for kids

The South Campus Chiller Plant at The Ohio State University
The McDonald's Chicago Flagship, Chicago, Illinois
The Fermilab Office Technical and Education Building, Batavia, Illinois
The Lincoln Park Zoo's Visitor Center, Chicago Illinois
The Chicago Riverwalk
The CTA Cermak-McCormick Station
The O'Hare International Airport Multi-Modal Terminal
The Jewish Reconstructionist Synagogue, Chicago, Illinois
The Mitzi Friedheim Child and Family Center, Chicago, Illinois
CTA Morgan Station, Chicago Illinois
The James I. Swenson Civil Engineering Building at the University of Minnesota-Duluth