So, I was a college senior doing a part-time internship at Paul Harding's office, before moving for grad school. He was incomprehensible then, and not much has changed lol.
Fun OT story: When I worked at his firm, the Chicago Grammy office was right next door. I remember it was maybe a couple of weeks before the Grammy awards, and I was looking for something at the front reception desk while the receptionist was at lunch. While I was there at the front of the office, Kid Rock walks by after leaving the Grammy office, with his entire entourage, looks at me from outside the office window wall and sticks his tongue out and gives me a 'hang ten' hand gesture, turns around and I see 'Kid Muthafuckin Rock' or some such white-trash nonsense bedazzled on his jacket LOL. I was amused but totally ignored him.
Regarding the Obamas input, I'm sure their considerations were at the forefront, and their thoughts are essentially what birthed this (hopefully) first iteration of the design. I have not hidden my disdain for the tower, which looks like a haughty and self-righteous imitation of a family mausoleum. Which is sad because I was a strong Obama supporter/voter and expected something a little more elegant...I guess high political acumen does not translate into appreciation of high design