Trailblazing Women Architects Who Shaped Chicago

From Chicago’s Aqua Tower to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., some of the most memorable buildings and landmarks were designed by women.

Yet, despite their significant impact, women have historically been underrepresented in the field of architecture. According to data from The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), only 27% of all licensed architects are women. But among newly licensed architects, this number jumps to 43%.

“While the field remains predominantly male, there is a shift happening,” said Eleanor Esser Gorski, President and CEO of the Chicago Architecture Center. “Younger women architects and students are increasingly turning to other female industry professionals who provide guidance and open doors for them.”

In Chicago, a city celebrated for its iconic architecture and bold innovation, women have played a critical but often overlooked role in shaping the skyline. To help rewrite that narrative this Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating five remarkable women architects who have made their mark on the city and beyond.

Marion Mahoney Griffin

In 1898, Marion Mahony Griffin became the first woman licensed as an architect in Illinois. As a pioneering member of the Prairie School movement, she collaborated with Frank Lloyd Wright for nearly 15 years, making significant (but often uncredited) contributions to his work and helping shape his reputation. Mahony is particularly celebrated for her rendering of the K.C. DeRhodes House in South Bend, Indiana. Later, she married architect Walter Burley Griffin, whom she met while working for Wright, and together they embarked on numerous influential projects across Australia and India.

Jeanne Gang

Jeanne Gang, founding principal of Studio Gang, is the visionary behind some of Chicago’s most iconic landmarks. Her firm is renowned for its innovative designs, including the 82-story Aqua Tower, completed in 2009. Famous for its striking, wavy facade, Aqua Tower was the world’s tallest building designed by a woman at the time. Studio Gang’s portfolio boasts other notable projects such as the 101-story St. Regis Chicago, the world’s tallest structure designed by a woman; the acclaimed Writers Theatre in Glencoe, and the expansion of O’Hare Airport, which is currently underway.

Carol Ross Barney

Carol Ross Barney, founder of Ross Barney Architects in Chicago, has left an indelible mark on the city’s landscape. Her firm is behind celebrated projects like the vibrant Chicago Riverwalk, the redesigned flagship McDonald’s in River North, and the visitor center at the Lincoln Park Zoo.

Her expertise also extends to infrastructure, including several Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) stations like Morgan Street and Cermak-McCormick Place, as well as the O’Hare Multi-Modal Terminal, which connects the airport to trains, buses, and parking facilities. Beyond Chicago, Barney has made her mark nationally, most notably as the first woman to design a federal building—the Oklahoma City Federal Building.

Jackie Koo

Jackie Koo is the founder of KOO, the Chicago-based architecture and urban planning firm behind notable developments like Sable Hotel at Navy Pier and the Wit in the Loop. Drawing on her background in philosophy, Koo has cultivated a distinctive approach that guides the firm’s creative direction. The firm’s work extends to projects that serve the city’s communities, such as the gracefully designed Altgeld Family Resource Center on the Far South Side, and Surge Esports Stadium, an immersive gaming venue located in Bronzeville.

Gertrude Lempp Kerbis

Gertrude Lempp Kerbis was a trailblazing American modernist architect who helped pave the way for women in the profession. A Chicago native, Kerbis studied under the likes of Mies van der Rohe before working at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and C.F. Murphy Associates. In 1967 she founded Lempp Kerbis, making her one of the first women in Chicago to establish her own practice. Some of her most notable projects include Mitchell Hall at the U.S. Air Force Academy, the O’Hare International Airport Rotunda building, and the Skokie Public Library. Beyond her design work, Kerbis was a passionate advocate for women in architecture. She founded the Chicago Women in Architecture group in 1973 and made history as the first female president of the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1980. Her lifelong contributions to architecture were recognized in 2008 when she received the Chicago AIA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.