The People's Architect

For her dedication to design of noble, everyday projects, Carol Ross Barney, FAIA, Honorary ASLA, is the recipient of the 2023 American Institute of Architects Gold Medal. A renowned Architect for public and civic space design, she has spent her career creating exceptional public spaces that have made a lasting impact. Her designs have become cultural icons, showcasing her belief in the transformative power of the built environment on our daily lives. A recognized urbanist, mentor, and educator, she firmly advocates that excellent design should be accessible to all, emphasizing that it is a right rather than a privilege. For almost two decades, her studio was involved in projects along Chicago’s rivers, including the design of the iconic Chicago Riverwalk. Carol is a graduate of the University of Illinois and has served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica, where she contributed to nationalpark planning. She has taught an advanced Design Studio at the Illinois Institute of Technology for over thirty years, sharing her expertise and shaping the next generation of architects. With her focus on design excellence, social responsibility, and generosity, Barney is an unrivaled architect for the people. Throughout all of her work, she has endeavored to make the world a better place and, in doing so, made an indelible mark on the profession. Her pioneering approach and ethics exemplify the highest aspirations of architecture. Public Architecture is the soul of Ross Barney’s practice. This book celebrates the history and character of the people she designs for, representing our collected and societal aspirations and goals. Carol Ross Barney has proven time and again that she is truly The People’s Architect.

Iker Gil Iker Gil is the founder of MAS Studio, Editor in Chief of the nonprofit MAS Context, and Executive Director of the SOM Foundation. Iker has edited or coedited several books including Radical Logic: On the Work of Ensamble Studio and Shanghai Transforming. He has curated multiple exhibitions including Nocturnal Landscapes, Poured Architecture: Sergio Prego on Miguel Fisac, and BOLD: Alternative Scenarios for Chicago, part of the inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial. He was Associate Curator of the US Pavilion for the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale and co-curator of Exhibit Columbus 2020–2021. He has taught at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), and Escola da Cidade (São Paulo). Oscar Riera Ojeda Oscar Riera Ojeda is an editor and designer based in the US, China, and Argentina. Born in 1966, in Buenos Aires, he moved to the United States in 1990. S ince then, he has published over three hundred books, assembling a remarkable body of work notable for its thoroughness of content, timeless character, and sophisticated and innovative craftsmanship. Oscar Riera Ojeda’s books have been published by many prestigious publishing houses across the world, including Birkhäuser, Byggförlaget, The Monacelli Press, Gustavo Gili, Thames & Hudson, Rizzoli, Damiani, Page One, ORO Editions, Whitney Library of Design, and Taschen. Oscar Riera Ojeda is also the creator of numerous architectural book series, including Ten Houses, Contemporary World Architects, The New American House and The New American Apartment, Architecture in Detail, and Single Building. His work has received many international awards, indepth reviews, and citations. He is a regular contributor and consultant for several publications in the field. In 2001 Oscar Riera Ojeda founded ORO Editions, a company at which he was responsible for the completion of nearly one hundred titles. In 2008 he established his current publishing venture, Oscar Riera Ojeda Publishers, a firm with fifteen employees and locations across three continents.