Welcome to our series, Getting to Know the Team! If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be a structural engineer or simply wanted to learn more about the people behind Engineering Solutions, this series is for you. We’ll feature a new team member every month, so be sure to check back regularly and enjoy our second installment below!

Name – Brian Nixon
Location – Harrisonburg
Title – Drafting Technician II
Years with Engineering Solutions – 2 years

When did you know you wanted to be a structural engineer?
Traveling the world and seeing the amazing things that humans have built throughout the ages sparked my interest in structural engineering.

What is your typical day at work?
My primary day-to-day task involves working with different software to create visual representations of projects to effectively communicate what’s required to make a stable structure.

What is the best part about your job?
The best part about my job is being able to come into work and say good morning to everyone and working on a wide variety of projects.

What are some of the challenges in your job?
Some challenges in my job include interpreting field measurements, determining what types of connections are needed, and keeping my desk organized! 🙂

What is one of the coolest projects you’ve worked on for Engineering Solutions?
The coolest project I’ve worked on so far would have to be the Axalta Pipe Bridge project. It was the first job I got to go out to and take field measurements on and model it up. It was really satisfying seeing what was existing come together on paper and then exciting to know the new construction we were proposing would soon be physically manifested.

What is your favorite Core Value and how do you live it out?
My favorite Core Value is Community. I believe that it’s important to create a good living/work environment and grow meaningful relationships whether they be professional or personal.

If you had to give one piece of advice for working with a structural engineer, what would it be?
We’re not always the most creative bunch so the more you know about how you want the project to be done the faster your project will get completed.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I enjoy exploring the world through long backpacking trips, hikes, biking around, and traveling.

Tell us about your family.
My family and I are originally from upstate New York from a tiny little hamlet called West Fulton. We moved down to Virginia to Orange County in the year 2000 and I’ve been in Virginia ever since. My folks met working on a horse farm and currently own a few horses they’ve acquired through rescue. I have a sister named Laura who is two years younger than me. About a year and a half ago she started driving west with no particular destination in mind and has ended up in Bellingham, WA.

Growing up we spent a lot of time outside together hiking and traveling around the state and the country. My favorite family trip would either have to be when we traveled around Northern California or when we went to Toronto, Canada.

Fun fact about yourself?
I do an annual hike of Old Rag and camp out on the side of it to catch the amazing sunrises.

What is your favorite restaurant?
Currently my favorite restaurant is Benny Sorrentino’s. They have the biggest slices of pizza I’ve ever seen with the best thin crust in town!

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