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Cape Design Engineering Co. (CDE) is a Florida-licensed multi-discipline engineering and construction firm founded in 1997. Based in Melbourne on Florida's Space Coast, CDE delivers mechanical, electrical, plumbing, structural, and civil engineering - alongside architectural design support, design-build delivery, and general construction contracting - for projects spanning commercial buildings, educational and medical facilities, military installations, and mission-critical aerospace and launch infrastructure. Over more than 25 years of continuous practice, CDE has built a strong repeat-client base across Florida and the Southeastern United States, with engineering licenses held in Georgia, Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Staff engineers complete at least 20 hours of continuing education annually, and many carry direct experience designing critical systems for NASA and U.S. Air Force programs still in active use.
Florida Engineering License #8072
Inga YoungPresident
Matt CharmburyDirector of Engineering
CDE's construction division is fully licensed and bonded in Florida and beyond, handling multi-discipline projects across a wide range of size and complexity. Operating under three core commitments - quality, on-time delivery, and on-budget performance - it has established a track record as a leading government and commercial contractor throughout Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and beyond.
CDE self-designs and self-performs construction, serving as the single responsible party from concept to completion. Bringing stakeholders, designers, and builders together from the outset reduces unknown construction issues, minimizes change orders, and typically shortens overall project timelines. Past design-build work spans gymnasiums, synthetic athletic fields, scientific laboratories, airfields, high-tech test stands, space launch equipment, chiller plants, hospitals, docks, and complex building controls and automation systems.
CDE's structural team designs structures ranging from private residences and educational facilities to mission-critical launch complexes and equipment stands, engineering each to safely withstand wind, seismic, and corrosion forces. Among notable achievements, the team produced the largest and only 3-D structural model of the NASA Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center - a 526-foot structure that is the world's largest single-story building by floor area.
CDE's in-house MEP team designs HVAC systems and chiller plants for facility types ranging from commercial offices and educational campuses to government installations, medical centers, and aerospace test facilities. Plumbing and building systems coordination are integrated throughout the design process to reduce change orders and commissioning surprises.
CDE's electrical engineers design power distribution and backup power generation, satellite communication systems, and complex building controls and automation for military, federal, commercial, and industrial clients. Power continuity and mission-critical reliability are specialties built through decades of work on Space Coast defense and launch installations.
CDE serves as a single-source provider during the pre-construction phase, coordinating planning and permitting alongside its design, design-build, and construction contracting work. This integrated approach reduces schedule risk and administrative complexity for owners.
Aviation · Commercial · Defense · Education · Federal · Government · Healthcare · Industrial · Space
Melbourne, FL · Education · Client: Eastern Florida State College
CDE contributed engineering services to the 61,000-square-foot Health Sciences Building on the Eastern Florida State College Melbourne campus.
Kennedy Space Center, FL · Space · Client: NASA
CDE's structural engineering team produced the largest and only 3-D structural engineering model of the NASA Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center. At 526 feet tall with 130 million cubic feet of volume, the VAB is the world's largest single-story building by floor area and sixth largest building on earth by volume.