Reflecting a longstanding passion for antique timepieces and stained glass, Chicago entrepreneur Cameel Halim and his family recently launched the Halim Time & Glass Museum. Among the noteworthy works within Cameel Halim’s collection of more than 1,100 timepieces are pocket watches, automatons, and chronometers. The chronometer represents an important stage in clockmaking technology and has its roots in the early 18th century. A British fleet of warships returning home from a failed port siege during the War of Spanish Succession missed sighting the Gibraltar straits just as a major storm hit. Even with known landmarks not visible, latitude could still be readily ascertained based on star and sun positions at specific times of the day. But longitude was almost impossible to calculate, and a system of dead reckoning, using the ship's direction and speed and requiring careful timing, was the only way of determining a vessel’s position. Unfortunately, the timepieces of the day could not accurately keep time, and the flagship HMS Association ran into the Scilly Isles’ Outer Gilston Rock. 1,500 sailors perished on the four ships that sank, and only 13 survived. This naval disaster led to an act of Parliament creating a contest with a major prize to anyone who could create a system of accurately determining longitude within a half degree throughout a transatlantic voyage. With none other than Sir Isaac Newton declaring that the task was impossible, it was ultimately John Harrison who, after four decades of research and refinement, created the pioneering H4 “marine chronometer.”
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An experienced civil engineer, Cameel Halim is the owner and president of CH Ventures, LLC, based in Wilmette, Illinois. Through the company, Cameel Halim purchases distressed properties and remodels and resells them.
In November 2005, preservationists were overjoyed when a house built by famed architect Daniel H. Burnham in Chicago’s Kenilworth Village escaped demolition after Cameel Halim bought it for $2.35 million. The home, located at 157 Kenilworth Avenue, was designed by architects working for Burnham’s firm and built in 1908. In the early 2000s, the owner decided to tear it down and build a new home. It was stripped of its windows and other features at an auction and was scheduled for demolition. Kenilworth has no preservation ordinance restricting tear-downs, and preservationists spent months trying to convince the owner not to demolish it but to sell or renovate it, to no avail. However, just before it was about to be torn apart, Cameel Halim stepped forward and bought it, ensuring the continuance of part of Kenilworth’s rich architectural history. As president of CH Ventures, LLC, since 2005, Cameel Halim maintains ownership and is responsible for managing numerous real estate properties in the Chicago area. In conjunction with his real estate career, Cameel Halim is also a licensed structural engineer. Structural engineers, simply speaking, are responsible for the integrity and function of the essential parts of a building -- the skeleton, if you will. Through their work, they ensure that buildings and other structures are safe and able to deal with all the different stresses they might encounter. These professionals typically work in conjunction with architects and developers in almost all phases of construction. They are also required to keep up with advancements in the field, and must prove their training merits through a rigorous licensure process. While structural engineers are most commonly working on new building projects, sometimes they are brought in to lend their expertise when a building or some other large structure is damaged or when it is scheduled for demolition, in order to ensure the process goes smoothly. Since the mid-1970s, Cameel Halim and his wife, Hoda, have invested in real estate in Chicago and the surrounding metropolitan area. Before launching his career in real estate, Cameel Halim worked as a licensed structural engineer in the State of Illinois.
A specialty within the field of civil engineering, structural engineering involves the analysis of physical forces within the context of an existing structure. By performing careful calculations of all contributing force-resisting elements, structural engineers can determine the types of forces a structure can sustain without compromising its integrity. Although most people associate structural engineers with skyscrapers and bridges, these professionals also work with everyday objects like chairs and windows. To become a licensed structural engineer, individuals must first receive their professional engineering license by completing education requirements and a licensing exam. Depending on the state, professional engineers must often acquire several years of additional work experience before applying for a structural engineering license, which enables them to work on buildings like schools and hospitals. |
AuthorA successful real Chicago estate investor, Cameel Halim supports his community through a variety of charitable efforts. Archives
February 2018
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