We at Abossein have been fortunate to have a long and productive relationship with VECA’s design-build electrical contracting team. That relationship has been further strengthened by the new addition of Shaun Hall who recently joined VECA. We have had the good fortune to work with Hall for a number of years, and he is a welcome addition to the team. VECA is a proud Northwest firm with expertise in heavy industry, military and high-end residential work.

One of our first jobs with VECA was a remodel for NAVFAC at the Naval Operational Support Center on Portland, Oregon’s Swan Island. This three-story site includes administration offices for the Navy, U.S. Marines, and Coast Guard. Abossein’s task was to upgrade the power distribution for all offices as well as branch circuiting and power for HVAC upgrades.

VECA Green is the company’s green energy division, and we at Abossein Engineering have worked on at least three LEED projects for them, including:

• U.S. Forest Service Project for the GSA at McKenzie River, OR. This 17,000 sq ft, single story addition required a complete redesign of the power system, including tying into an existing 50 kilowatt generator. Connections between the fire safety system and a new diesel-fired sprinkler pump with electrical components on the backup generator were also part of the design efforts. The lighting system included automatic dimming controls that adjust according to daylight levels. Further, low mercury content fluorescent lamps with high power factor T8 electronic ballast were used throughout the building to maximum efficiency and minimize harmful environmental effects.
• FY10 Medical and Dental Clinic Additions at Fort Lewis, WA for the Army Corps of Engineers. This project required power distribution for interior and exterior use, including lighting design for a 47,000 sq ft parking lot. The interior of this single story site is 17,000 sq ft, and consists of various medical departments, including optometry, dental, X-ray and general family medicine.
• Academic Fire Instruction Building for the Naval Air Station on Whidbey Island, WA. This 6,000 sq ft building includes administration offices, classrooms and a mock aircraft that is periodically set on fire, so that students can extinguish it as part of their training. Power distribution included connections to a high energy efficient geothermal heat pump system. High power factor T-8 ballast and low mercury fluorescent lamps were designed into the lighting systems to comply with LEED silver requirements. The lighting controls consisted of occupancy sensors throughout, dimmed fluorescents and separate daylight zone controls.

We are looking forward to being a part of this well-established, professional team, as our partnership with VECA continues to grow.