I had a few friends working in VEC’s Onsite department, and they would always talk about the cutting-edge technology being used to scan and document job sites. Hearing about that workflow sparked my interest. At the time, it was just VEC Electrical and VEC Onsite, but I was so intrigued that I asked my friends to pass my resume along. After meeting with the PMs and learning more about the vision and culture, I knew right away VEC was where I wanted to be.
“I’m only using you because I have to.” Those were the first words a new client said to me. He was old school and saw BIM as overrated and unnecessary. Challenge accepted. Over the next year, I worked closely with him and his team, and we uncovered hundreds of issues — missed clashes, uncoordinated designs, and overlooked conflicts between the underground utility systems. As we resolved each one, the value of BIM became more and more apparent. By the end of the project, that same client not only embraced the process but became an advocate for BIM coordination. He saw the value of a highly detailed, constructible model and understood why VEC was the right team for the job.
My favorite memory with the VEC team was accomplishing full BIM coordination on a complex data center project that included Wet and Dry underground utilities, Concrete, Fire Protection, and overall BIM coordination. What made it so memorable wasn’t just the scope, it was the collaboration. Multiple teams across disciplines came together, tackled challenges in real-time, and pushed through long days (and nights) to make sure everything was fully coordinated and constructible. There was a real sense of shared ownership and pride in the work we delivered. Seeing the model come together and knowing we helped set the field up for success, that’s a feeling I won’t forget.