[11] Scholars note that it is very likely that her family was heavily involved in the intellectual and Unitarian community there at the time, as both her parents were deeply ambitious about education and art.

[13] Mahony often recalled her childhood in Winnetka in her autobiography, "The Magic of America", describing how she had become fascinated by the freeing nature and quickly disappearing landscape as suburban homes filled the area.

"[13] This landscape inspired Mahony's focus on nature in her architectural practices, and her family's involvement in the intellectual community further influenced her democratic principles and philosophy.

Mahony described her mother as "the most democratic of human beings", firsthand seeing her involvement with many social reformers, activists, artists, and intellectuals.

[12]: 25-26  Anna Wilmarth, who was part of their inner circles personally funded Mahony's education at the Massuchusetts Institute of Technology after she was influenced by her cousin, architect Dwight Perkins, to pursue an architectural degree.

"[4] From the progressive educational philosophies, and inner circles of women and social reformers that she was exposed to from a young age, Mahony's values heavily revolved around collaboration and spilled into most of her architectural work.

[9]: 376–377, Chapter II  Further, her philosophy, reflecting the later formed Prairie School ideals, was rooted in the human relationship to nature and democracy.

[9]: Chapter II  [12]: 30 Although Mahony was considered an illustrator or delineator of the work of other architects, her "rich and fruitful" graphic representation and style combined perspective, plan, and section on one sheet for the first time.

Her interest in Japanese prints gave her several unique compositional techniques of color, depth, emphasis, and line weight that played a crucial role in the development of the Prairie School.

Her presentation drawing of the home was exceptionally skillful with clear-cut lines, and her original use of stylized trees and flowers to frame the structure.

Two examples were the first (unbuilt) design for Henry Ford's Dearborn mansion, Fair Lane and the Amberg House[19] in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

During this time, Mahony recommended Walter Burley Griffin to von Holst to develop landscaping for the area surrounding the three houses commissioned from Wright in Decatur, Illinois.

[4] Mahony produced a visual solution to Griffin's renderings with the use the combination of illustration and elevation that created a totally new method of presentation.

[12]: 86–87  Architectural historians such as Thomas S. Hines, note that Mahony's watercolor perspectives of Griffins' design for Canberra, the new Australian capital, were instrumental in securing first prize in the international competition for the plan of the city.

[20] However, deeply rooted in her collaborative approach, she would publicly refer to her contributions as "our projects", often making note of the love and loyalty she had for her husband.

[21] Cafe Australia, Newman College, and the Capitol Theatre were three architectural structures worked on by Mahony, and for which the couple hired local artists,[17] including Bertha Merfield, in whose friendship Marion shared an interest in the decorative potential of the eucalyptus form, which they sketched together around Tasmania.

[22] Marion's memoirs record the rough journey across Bass Strait in the SS Loongana, compensated over December 1918–January 1919 with 'a wonderful fortnight which enabled me to add a number of unique trees to my set of Forest Portraits.

"[9]: 149, Chapter I  In addition to this, she continued drafting and illustrating in her unique graphic style, yet it's hard to attribute which of her works belonged to her when both her and her husband signed their initials on them.

[24] Lucknow reinvigorated her interest in architecture as she finished the rendering of the library and museum for Raja of Mahmudabad as Walter Burley Griffin lied on his death bed.

Despite her commentary on designs, compiled papers, and personal writings, her individual and unique contributions to the field were described as being 'for' other architects she worked with.

[29] Among the few works attributed to Mahony that survive in the United States is a small mural in George B. Armstrong elementary school in Chicago, and some of the home she had designed in Decatur, Illinois.

[32] 1998–99: The Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences in Sydney held an exhibition entitled "Beyond Architecture: Marion Mahony and Walter Burley Griffin".