Fazlur Rahman Khan (3 April 1929 – 27 March 1982) was a Bangladeshi-American structural engineer and architect. He initiated critical structural structures for skyscrapers. Fazlur is considered the “father of tubular designs” for high-rises. Besides, he was a pioneer in computer-aided design (CAD). Khan was the structural engineer of the Sears Tower operating with Architect Bruce Graham.
This man has been known as the “Einstein of structural engineering” and the “Greatest Structural Engineer of the 20th Century” for his revolutionary use of structural systems that stay fundamental to trendy skyscraper design and construction.
He also designed the Hajj airport terminal, the McMath–Pierce solar telescope, and several stadium structures.
Early Life and Education
Fazlur was born on 3 April 1929 in the Bengal Presidency of British India, now Bangladesh. He was raised in the village of Bhandarikandii in the Faridpur District near Dhaka. Khssssssssssssssssssssssssans father, Abdur Rahman Khan, was a high school mathematics teacher and also a textbook author. He later became the Director of Public Instruction in the region of Bengal. After he retired, he served as Principal of Jagannath College, Dhaka.
Fazlur attended Armanitola Government High School, in Dhaka. Then, he studied Civil Engineering at Bengal Engineering and Science University, Shibpur, Kolkata, India. He then received his Bachelor of Civil Engineering degree from Ahsanullah Engineering College. Khan even received a Fulbright Scholarship and a government scholarship. Thanks to those, he was able to travel to the United States in 1952. He studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign there. During those three years, Khan earned two master’s degrees – one in structural engineering and one in theoretical and applied mechanics – and a Ph.D. in structural engineering.
Khan did not see his first skyscraper in person until he was 21 years old. Also, he did not step inside a mid-rise building until he moved to the United States.
Career
In 1955, he started working in Chicago, employed by the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). In 1966, he became a partner. The rest of his life, Khan worked side by side with Architect Bruce Graham. He introduced design methods and concepts for the efficient use of the material in building architecture. His first building to employ the tube structure was the Chestnut De-Witt apartment building was.
Fazlur thought that engineers needed a broader perspective on life, saying, “The technical man must not be lost in his own technology; he must be able to appreciate life, and life is art, drama, music, and most importantly, people.”
Personal Life
Khan enjoyed singing Rabindranath Tagore’s poetic songs in Bengali. He and his wife, Liselotte, had a daughter who was born in 1960. In 1967, Khan elected to become a United States citizen.
Fazlur is famous for his structural engineering design, but he was also known for his humanitarian efforts. In 1971 after the Bangladesh Liberation War began, Khan became an activist for the people.
Fazlur Rahman Khan Net Worth 2024
Even though there aren’t any credible resources regarding Fazlur Rahman Khan’s net worth, we can guess that his net worth might be low seven figures.
