Organized in February of 1981 as Carol Ross Barney Architects, the firm has successfully served a diverse group of clients designing projects for new work, additions, renovations and planning.

Throughout their entire practice, the firm has been dedicated to design of meaningful architecture in the public realm. The firm has produced a consistent record of design excellence as evidenced by numerous design awards and nationwide commissions. The firm received the American Institute of Architects Chicago Firm award in 1995 and the American Institute of Architects Illinois Firm Award in 2000. In recognition for her contributions to the city, Carol Ross Barney was named one of the "Chicagoans of the Year" by the Chicago Tribune in 1997. Carol Ross Barney is the recipient of the 2005 Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture. This award recognizes personal excellence in architectural achievement.

The firm\'s work has received significant design awards, honors and recognitions, including 4 national American Institute of Architects Institute Honor Awards. The firm has received over twenty AIA Chicago Awards for their designs. Their work has been published in books, and architectural journals, such as Architecture, Architectural Record, Architectural Review magazines and noted in newspapers such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun Times and USA Today.

The prestigious Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award for Architectural Excellence in Community Design was presented to the Little Village Academy school in 1998, Little Village Family Resource Center in 2001 and the Jubilee Family Resource Center in 2002. This honor is bestowed upon projects that have a positive impact in Chicago neighborhoods. The Glendale Heights Post Office received the 1992 Federal Design Achievement Award through the Presidential Design Awards program. Sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, this is the highest honor a federal project can receive. The Sault Ste. Marie Border Station received the General Services Administration Design Awards for Architecture on the Boards in 2000.