William Frazier Baker (Fulton, Missouri, United States; October 9, 1953), is an American structural engineer known for having designed the structure of the Burj Khalifa,[1]​ the tallest man-made building/structure in the world, as well as several other recognized buildings. He is currently a structural engineering partner in the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP (SOM).

Baker was elected to the National Academy of Engineering "National Academy of Engineering (United States)") in 2011 for his leadership in developing innovative structures for skyscrapers around the world.

After earning a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Missouri (1975), Baker briefly worked for ExxonMobil and then completed his master's degree at the University of Illinois (1980). In 1981, he joined the architecture and engineering firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, LLP (SOM) in Chicago; He became a partner in 1996.

Widely recognized for his work on skyscrapers, Baker was also involved in the Broadgate-Exchange House (London, 1990) and the GM Renaissance Center Entry Pavilion (Detroit, 2005). He is also known for his work on long-span roof structures, such as the McCormick Place North Building Expansion (Chicago, 1986), the Korean Air Lines Operations Center (Seoul, 1995), the expansion of the Korea World Trade Center") (Seoul, 2000), and the Virginia Beach Convention Center (Virginia Beach, 2007). Baker has collaborated with artists such as Jamie Carpenter (Raspberry Island&action=edit&redlink=1 "Raspberry Island (Minnesota) (not yet written)")-Schubert Club Band Shell, 2002), Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle") (Gravity is a Force to be Reckoned With, 2010), Jaume Plensa (World Voices, 2010), and James Turrell (Roden Crater").

The numerous skyscrapers Baker has worked on include the AT&T Corporate Center (Chicago, 1989), the Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago, 2008), the Cayan Tower (Dubai, 2009), the Pearl River Tower (Guangzhou, 2009), the Nanjing Greenland Financial Center (Nanking, 2009), and the unbuilt project 7 South Dearborn") (Chicago, 2003).

He is best known as the engineer of the Burj Khalifa (Dubai, 2009), the tallest man-made structure in the world. To support the tower's record heights, he developed the "buttressed core" structural system,[2] consisting of a hexagonal core reinforced by three buttresses that form a Y. This innovative system allows the structure to support itself both laterally and torsionally. It also eliminates the need for column transfers and moves loads continuously from the tower's spire to its foundation.