Design a Building with an Architect-Engineer

About this experience

Start at a real site where Omar’s firm is designing a small mixed-use building. You will measure, photograph and talk through zoning, sunlight and neighbors, then head back to the studio to sketch a massing concept together.

In the afternoon you see how a sketch becomes a building: the 3D model, the structural grid, beam sizing and how the architecture and engineering push against each other. You finish with a look at a real drawing set and a talk about licensing and running a small firm.

Your day

1. 9:00 AM

   Site visit

   Walk the site, take measurements and discuss zoning and context.

   1 hr 30 min

2. 10:30 AM

   Concept sketching

   Sketch massing options by hand with trace paper and scale rulers.

   1 hr 30 min

3. 12:00 PM

   Lunch

   Lunch near the studio in the West Loop.

   1 hr

4. 1:00 PM

   Model and structure

   Build a quick 3D model and lay out the structural grid and key beams.

   1 hr 30 min

5. 2:30 PM

   Drawing set and career talk

   Tour a construction drawing set, then licensing and firm life Q&A.

What’s included

• Lunch
• Sketch kit: trace roll, scale and pens
• Printed copy of your concept sketches

Good to know

• Wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes for the site visit.
• Client project details are confidential; no photos of unreleased drawings.

Your curator

Omar HaddadLicensed architect and structural engineer, 17 years

Omar Haddad is a licensed architect and structural engineer who runs a small design firm focused on mid-rise residential and adaptive reuse projects. Before starting his firm he worked on high-rise structures in the Loop. He teaches a structures studio at a local university.