Summit – Washington State Convention Center Addition
With a challenging location in the heart of downtown Seattle, there were limited delivery accommodations with zero laydown area and narrow allowable noise hours, requiring material to be delivered on a just-in-time basis and close coordination amongst the project team. Over 13,000 fixtures and 38 miles of DMX low voltage lighting control cable were installed. VECA provided complete line voltage construction and associated adjacent electrical work over the seven-year schedule duration. Additional power requirements included two Seattle City Light vaults supplying power to eight 4,000-amp switchboards, 413 panelboards, two 1600 kVA paralleling generators, and five ATS’s. Make-ready projects included the traction power substation and Place Station demolition work inside the Seattle Downtown Transit Tunnel. The project achieved LEED Platinum and Salmon-Safe Certification.
The completed building totals 248,450 SF of new exhibit hall space, 62 meeting rooms, and a stunning 58,000 SF column-free ballroom which featured 1,100 light fixtures, 74 of which are RGB LED moving head fixtures that can display any color and multiple light designs throughout the space. These spaces have fully controlled lighting and plenty of power accommodations for exhibitors. All are backed up by two 1500kw generators and supported by 150kw of solar power.
By the Numbers
light fixtures installed
DMX low voltage lighting control cable
fabrication production hours
Significant sustainable solutions were implemented, with solar panels that have have capacity to produce up to 228 KW, improving the building's energy performance by 30% over the baseline rating.
Next Level BIM Coordination
The unique horizontal construction requirements pushed clash detection and sequencing methodology to the next level. There were no local precedents to build from, so our team helped innovate beyond known strategies to coordinate the ‘billboard’ phasing logic.
Maximizing Fabrication Capacity
This project challenged VECA’s fabrication shop on its largest, most complex project to date. Their production stats included: 41 TPU’s built & listed, 445 floor boxes handled and prepped, 882 sections built, and 570,501' of PVC—totaling 77,668 fabrication hours worked.
Bespoke Chandelier Installation
A signature element of the project is the custom-built signature wooden chandelier installed in one of the feature ceilings. To help fully understand the design requirements, our team rented a warehouse and built a 50’X15’ mockup to study and troubleshoot any issues prior to installation.
Critical Make-Ready Projects
VECA completed several make ready projects prior to the Summit building, including the traction power substation (TPSS) which supported Sound Transit’s light rail trains and the Convention Place Station (CPS) project which entailed demolition work inside the Seattle Downtown Transit Tunnel.
