By Brent Hoffmann, Class of 2005
“My secret sauce is structural engineering content,” said Josh Brickman. “Whenever I begin a tour, I always explain that I was a structural engineer for nearly a decade and worked closely with architects. So, when it comes to the math and science of construction, I can offer my guests behind-the-scenes facts and information about how buildings are designed and built. I can answer questions about math, physics, and building materials.
“Aqua and the St. Regis are examples that I highlight when it comes to modern concrete construction techniques,” he continued. “With concrete, you can build as tall as steel, add interesting undulations to the building, and it’s recyclable. One of the jobs of a structural engineer is to ensure that buildings are built strong enough to resist structural loads, such as the wind. For example, the 83rd floor of the St. Regis is open, allowing wind to blow through the building, rather than impacting and imparting wind loads onto the building. St. Regis also has damper tanks on the roof, which help to further mitigate wind loads.
“When I discuss steel and historic construction, I reference the ‘L’ train system and the John Hancock Center. Especially the Hancock’s classic X bracing, which serves as the building’s lateral stability system.”
Structural Engineering
Josh, who grew up in Vernon Hills, is a software developer who works in the Streeterville neighborhood. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering and Master of Science degree in structural engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He followed up with a certificate in computer languages at Northwestern University.
“Originally, I was a structural engineer for Magnusson Klemencic Associates, which consults on structural and civil engineering projects,” he said. “In addition to the St. Regis, I had the privilege of working on numerous buildings around the city, including River Point, 150 N. Riverside, Wolf Point East, One Chicago Square, and the practice facilities of the Bulls and Blackhawks teams. But the Covid pandemic prompted me to make professional and life changes, so I made a career transition to software development.”
Teacher
“I also have experience as a teacher,” he continued. “I was a teaching assistant in grad school at U of I. More recently, I was a volunteer tutor for second-to-eighth graders at Chicago Lights. I enjoyed the experiences immensely and figured that being a tour guide would offer a similar opportunity for education. I just like sharing knowledge whether it’s from books I’m reading, movies I’ve seen, or plays and musicals I’ve attended. I relish any opportunity to share things that excite me. Coming from the design community, I felt that I could share a structural engineer’s perspective on architecture. Also, as a native Chicagoan, I felt that I could share personal stories.”
Josh certified as a docent in 2017. He leads the Must-See Chicago and Walk-Through-Time tours. “I adore the Walk-Through tour, and the Must-See is like a sampler platter for the city. I’m able to use the narrative of Chicago’s history as a parallel arc to the evolution of skyscraper design, watching as buildings grow in tandem with the city,” he explained. “The tours lend themselves to featuring my structural engineering knowledge, and I’m able to tell personal stories about design and construction.
Music & Legos
“I write and record music that often features lyrical content about Chicagoland,” he said. “I did a rap music video about Divvy bikes that shows off the city’s skyline from the lake. We ride past Marina City, the Merchandise Mart, the Bean and other Chicago landmarks. And I threw in deep-dish pizza and the Blues Brothers for good measure.” Josh – who credits Weird Al Yankovic as one of his musical heroes — edited the 1:18-minute video in his home studio. It can be seen on YouTube at https://youtu.be/XCB7eciR5cA.
“I have a longer [4:31 minutes] video valentine to the city called ‘Chicago, I love you (but you’re bringing me down)’. The vocals are by my talented friend Neala Barron; I’m the guy working the puppet.” It’s on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzaU8v9Spec
“I’m a voracious reader, often working through two books at a time,” he said. Josh highly recommends David McCullough’s ‘The Great Bridge” about the construction of Brooklyn Bridge’. “I also write for fun. I’ve worked on short stories and children’s books. Recently, I completed my first full-length mystery novel. So, I’m on the lookout for an agent and/or publisher, if anyone can be of assistance! And I dabble with Lego projects that feature a mixture of architecture and art.
“In all, I consider it a privilege to serve as a CAC ambassador to Chicago’s architectural community, knowing that proceeds from our tours help support students, schools and programs like Open House Chicago.
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Josh, great to hear about your various talents. Enjoyed the YouTube videos and legos. I would recommend also another book by David McCullough, “The Path Between The Sea” the story of the building of the Panama Canal.
Really enjoyed reading this and learned a thing or two as well!
Also enjoyed reading about your many talents. Good to have you on our team
Thank you all for the kind words! And thank you for the book recommendation, I’ll definitely check it out!