Founded in 1981 by Carol Ross Barney, FAIA, the 2023 AIA Gold Medal recipient, Ross Barney Architects has received over 200 major awards for a commitment to community, environment, innovation, and to design excellence. Notable projects include the Chicago Riverwalk, McDonalds’ Flagship Restaurants in Chicago and Disney World, CTA Cermak-McCormick Place and Morgan Street Stations, and the new Oklahoma City Federal Building. The firm is housed in a converted 1883 wool trade building, formerly owned by Harry Weese, a renowned Chicago architect. The building had been home to his practice. Ross Barney located to this space in 2001 and retained much of the existing design features, including the 3-story, sky lit atrium that floods the entire studio with natural light. It has become a laboratory and proving ground for ideas about productive workspace and reflects the collaborative nature of design.