Ross Barney Architects

About Us

Ross Barney Architects have been dedicated to design excellence for over 32 years. Ross Barney Architects strives to improve the built environment and believes that design should capture a contemporary vision of today’s society. Our firm enjoys an international reputation for work primarily in the field of institutional and public buildings that include park buildings, religious buildings, libraries, higher education, schools and early childhood education, government, and transit infrastructure. Our working style is extremely collaborative with communications structured to allow the maximum creative contribution from team members. Our clients are integral to the team. Since the majority of our commissions are for public use, we are very experienced working on site in public process and forum during design. Our approach begins with a concentrated effort to understand the site and the community in which we are working. The firm regularly offers pro bono services to community organizations, including the Iron Street Farm, Children’s Home and Aid Society of Illinois, and the Young Women’s Leadership Charter School of Chicago. Employees are encouraged to make individual contributions and commitments to civic and professional organizations. Our buildings have received significant design awards, honors and recognitions, including four Institute Honor Awards from the American Institute of Architects and over thirty awards from AIA Chicago. The JRC Synagogue received a LEED Platinum rating and was recognized as one of the AIA Committee on the Environment's (COTE) Top Ten Green Projects for 2009. The UMD Civil Engineering building was awarded a 2013 COTE Top Ten Green Project and was the 2012 Evergreen Award from EcoStructure magazine. Our firm was the recipient of the American Institute of Architects Illinois, 2000 Firm Award. We have received regional, national and international awards and are testament of the quality of design and documentation. Our commitment is to provide innovative design to benefit clients program and budget. Awards are the result of this commitment. The make up of our 25 person staff is a reflection of our belief that diversity is a desirable element in the design studio. Women compose 50% of our employees, ethnic minorities are approximately 30% (the remainder are very sensitive modern males.)