About this experience
A walking tour led by someone who designs and engineers buildings for a living. Omar walks you through the Loop and along the river, stopping at early steel-frame towers, mid-century glass boxes and recent high-rises to explain how each was built and what problem its structure solved.
He points out details most tours skip: how wind shapes a tall building, why some facades have exposed columns and what an old building has to go through to become apartments. You get a pocket sketchbook to practice drawing what you see.
Your day
- 10:00 AM
Meet by the river
Overview of how the city rebuilt after its great fire and why the skyscraper started here.
20 min
- 10:20 AM
Early steel frames
Look at the first generation of tall buildings and how their frames carry load.
40 min
- 11:00 AM
Glass and steel
Mid-century towers and the engineering behind curtain walls.
40 min
- 11:40 AM
Wind and height
How newer towers handle wind, and why their shapes change as they rise.
35 min
- 12:15 PM
Adaptive reuse stop
An older building converted to new use, and Q&A on the profession.
What’s included
- Guided walk with an architect-engineer
- Pocket sketchbook and pen
- Map of stops and further reading list
Good to know
- About 2 miles of walking at an easy pace; wear comfortable shoes.
- The walk stays outdoors and in public lobbies; building interiors depend on public access that day.
- Runs in light rain; severe weather means a free reschedule.
Your curator
Omar HaddadLicensed architect and structural engineer, 17 yearsOmar 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.
View Omar’s profile
