27-Oct-15 – She has transformed public spaces for more than 40 years and the 4,000-member Illinois chapter of American Institute of Architects says now is the time for a Lifetime Achievement award. Carol Ross Barney, the lead design architect of the Chicago Riverwalk, as well as the new Oklahoma City Federal Building, will be honored next week at a reception in River North.

Her work, says AIA, “has made lasting and meaningful improvements to our collective quality of life, as well as women’s role in the profession.”

All of the Riverwalk west of Michigan Avenue, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial west of Wabash, was designed by Ross Barney. She designed stretches of the Riverwalk west of LaSalle Street that are currently being constructed.

“Carol has raised the profile of Illinois architects as major players on the world stage,” said AIA president Michael Elliott. “Carol’s multifaceted contributions to the profession as designer, teacher, and citizen certainly set a high bar for anyone who would wish to follow in her footsteps.”

Ross Barney’s work in the public sector is noted for overcoming challenges such as “tough urban sites, communities trying to solve social and cultural problems, and tight, inflexible government budgets.”

She will receive the AIA Illinois Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Architecture at a reception on November 4, hosted by AIA Illinois, at Ross Barney Architects on West Hubbard Street.