Kate MacDougall
Kate MacDougall, P.E. (CT, MA, NH, and VT) is an associate principal with e2 engineers, a structural engineering firm specializing in the design of buildings. As the firm’s Massachusetts’ office studio leader, she manages a team of six professionals and is bringing the branch into its third year of operation.
Kate fell in love with structural engineering for its collaborative nature and technical challenge. She spent several years in the nuclear industry before transitioning to building design with the intention to build stronger connections with clients and to work on projects with an immediate impact on communities. Now with over 13 years of experience, Kate has developed expertise in structural design for K12, higher education, cultural, and residential projects.
Some recent favorites include New Canaan Library in New Canaan, Conn. with Centerbrook Architects, and Cranbury Elementary School in Norwalk, Conn. with Antinozzi Associates. Both projects presented a variety of structural challenges and were made successful by the teams’ proactive planning and detailed coordination. It only helps that both projects also highlighted structural design by using architecturally-exposed structural steel (AESS) in common spaces. Kate hopes that visible components of the structural framing will inspire students and others to be curious about how buildings are designed and how they stand up.
She also hopes that structural engineers will continue to educate themselves on environmental and social sustainability, and seek ways to incorporate advancing philosophies and technologies into their designs. In addition to its structural challenge, New Canaan Library is a memorable project for Kate because it is Connecticut’s first Design for Freedom project, an initiative to reduce the reliance on forced labor in the construction industry. Kate is honored to be involved in a pilot project for the initiative and believes it’s an important indicator of globalization in the AEC industry.
