The Construction Source America

AUG - SEP 2021 engineering, in dialogue. “Because I have an interior design background, as do other lighting people at Michaud, we understand the aesthetics of a space and how important those are. Because we work for an engineering firm, we also understand the system that has to deliver power and air to these spaces. Sometimes being the bridge between the two is interesting and helping those two groups understand each other and communicate together is always fun. I always say I certainly understand the aesthetics, but you have to realize the function too.” Such cross-disciplinarity and focus on the balance between aesthetics and function has allowed MCE to take on not only diverse projects but also particularly complex ones. Their projects range from the cultural to the medical. One cultural artifact MCE has been involved with is the lighting and ongoing preservation of the Cathedral of St. Paul. When looking at work in healthcare, they have created MEP systems for the Shakopee VA Clinic for example. These two seemingly disparate projects give a clear view of MCE’s dedication to art, design, and function working symbiotically. This symbiosis is just part of the reason why Chaput has stayed at Michaud for twenty years. “I like the technical aspect of working for an engineering firm,” Chaput notes. “Since I work in lighting design, I get to do what gives me the balance of aesthetics and function. There is a little art in lighting as well as the function of working with engineers, so the combination has been good.” These projects also present challengestheteamsatMichaud strive to overcome. The teams at MCE want to take on difficult projects because those projects lead to innovative solutions, creativity, and adaptability of skillsets. “We like to have the projects that we feel we have the engineers to complete. We like