Faculty

Thornton Tomasetti

Expertise: Aviation; Commercial; Residential; Healthcare; Education; Cultural; Sports

Burns joined Thornton Tomasetti in 1995 and has more than 40 years of experience designing structures as well as investigating and renovating existing buildings. Joe is a passionate advocate for the deeper integration of architecture and engineering, which he promotes through technical innovation in the design of structural systems, collaboration in practice, and leadership in building science education. His credits span a wide spectrum of building types and include commercial, residential, healthcare, education, cultural, aviation, and sports.

His contributions to the A/E/C industry have been recognized with his advancement to fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Structural Engineering Institute (SEI), The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), and International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE). He is a recipient of the American Institute of Steel Construction’s Special Achievement Award and ENR’s Top 25 Newsmakers list for the innovative use of Tekla modeling in the redevelopment of Chicago’s Soldier Field.

He shares his expertise through teaching, publishing, and lectures, including presentations at the Chicago Architecture Foundation and the AIA National Convention. Burns has taught at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Maryland, University of Washington, and Northwestern University, among others. He holds a bachelor's degree in Architecture from the University of Notre Dame and master's degrees in architecture and civil engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a member of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI), The Institution of Structural Engineers (UK), and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

Expertise: Structural engineering; Composite steel construction; Aviation; Commercial; Educational

Michael Aronson, PE, LEED AP BD+C is a project engineer at Thornton Tomasetti, where he works closely with architects and contractors throughout all phases of design and construction to create structural systems for buildings. His work spans multiple sectors, with notable projects including Disney’s New York City corporate headquarters and JFK International Airport’s New Terminal One. Mr. Aronson received both a BS and an MS in civil engineering with an architecture certificate from Northwestern University. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of New York and is a Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Expertise: Performance based façade design; Rainscreen design; Architectural detailing; Architectural masonry design; High-rise architectural design; PreK-12 architectural design; Commercial architectural design; Architectural design representation

Bryan Howard, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, is a Chicago based senior project director with Thornton Tomasetti, sitting in the Façade Engineering practice. He specializes in performance-based design of all six sides of a building, including roofing and below-grade waterproofing. Bryan is especially interested in the close relationship between enclosure, thermal comfort, energy consumption, and structure in architecture. He has worked on a wide range of building types and project scales around the world with completed works in Qatar, China, Mexico, and across the United States. Bryan holds a bachelor of science in architectural studies and a master of architecture with honors, both from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is a licensed architect in Illinois and a member of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards.