Andrew Maio, EIT
Mechanical Designer
From an early age, I have always had an interest in solving problems, particularly where critical thinking is required to come to an answer. After my initial exposure and success in engineering design in high school, I knew I wanted to be a design engineer. So in 2014, I started my freshman year at the University of Maryland set on engineering, but still undecided on which engineering path to choose. It wasn’t until a successful and engaging 2016 internship with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in-house mechanical design team that I gained an interest in mechanical engineering design as it pertains to the building industry.
Fresh out of college, I started my career at Summer as a mechanical design engineer. I quickly gained an appreciation for the challenges associated with renovating historic buildings, where we are often tasked with designing mechanical systems to fit into larger existing systems, some of which have been around since original building construction. One of the biggest things I learned early on is that in our profession, the best mechanical system should go unnoticed by building occupants. Occupant comfort can easily be taken for granted when a system is designed correctly. On the reverse, when systems fail or are designed incorrectly, occupants are quick to realize a lack of comfortable heating/cooling or a noisy air distribution system, particularly in office spaces which can be occupied for upwards of 12 hours per day.
From tenant fit-outs to steam station design to process heating, every single project I have worked on here at Summer presents its own set of unique design challenges, which provide countless, engaging opportunities for me to increase my knowledge base and become a well-rounded mechanical design engineer.