 |
VaST blast Wednesday, 16 December 2009 |
 |
|
VaST has been successfully fusing substance and style since 2000— |
|
|
||||||
 |
||||||
Gray is Green: VaST architecture works with Thistle Community Housing to cut water use by 30 percent. When you talk to Joseph Vigil, principal architect and owner of VaST architecture, about his work, words like Passion and Inspiration comp up – more than once. |
||||||
|
||||||
|
||||||
Vigil and his wife and business partner Brandy LeMae founded the award-winning Boulder firm in 2000 to bring high-performance architecture, site planning and green design to an array of construction projects, from ground-up new homes to complete renovations. The media has been quick to take notice of this small design firm with big plans. VaST projects have been featured on HGTV’s “World’s Greenest Homes,” in national architecture magazines and in books on green building. As a full service studio, they have even created identity and package design for Boulder Valley businesses. The VaST portfolio includes impressive custom homes, restaurant remodels and municipal projects. But behind contemporary silhouettes, colorful fascia and dramatic site installations, pure architecture often happens at the nuts-and-bolts level, as architects design and specify the systems and infrastructure that make our buildings perform like perfectly tuned engines. Sometimes, it just comes down to how we flush our toilets. VaST architecture has recently been working with Thistle Community Housing to replace a multi-family building that was demolished after a fire destroyed the original structure. “Our goal is always to bring the highest degree of sustainability and eco-centered components to every project,” Vigil explains, “and the Thistle project was a great opportunity to show that green building practices don’t have to be limited to just high-end concept design.” One of the upgraded efficiencies is the addition of a graywater system, which is projected to save up to 30 percent of the building’s total water usage. Graywater systems work by capturing the effluent water from baths, showers, sinks and washing machines and channeling it into water-saving applications – like flushing toilets. The practice is new to many municipalities, so codes and regulations are still being worked out. Vigil, who sits on the board of the Boulder Green Building Guild, had sent out an e-mail to the membership requesting donations of goods and services to help support the Thistle project. “I got a call from Mike Vail at Water Legacy. He was interested in the feasibility of building a graywater system into the new building’s laundry facility, which includes eight washers and dryers.” “We know water shortages are an increasing problem, and we cannot afford to keep using fresh water this way.” Mike Vail says’ explaining that the typical home uses 30 percent of its fresh water to flush toilets. “Graywater is treatable and can be easily made safe,” Mike Vail says. Water Legacy’s system uses the dual disinfecting effects of hydrogen peroxide and UV rays to deliver safe and odorless water to toilet flush tanks. If no gray water is currently stored, then the system draws from fresh water supply. “We think this may be the first multi-family installation of a graywater system in the nation,” Vail says. Thistle’s graywater system, which Joseph Vigil estimates will cost around $12,000, is just part of VaST architecture’s planning to lower utility costs and bring sustainability to the new residences. “We’re working on raising enough funds to install fiberglass windows, which require little maintenance and last much longer than wood or vinyl windows.” [Gwenael Hagan of SolarGlass Window and Door stepped up to the plate on this one. Working with the folks at Marvin Windows, he was able to obtain Marvin Integrity Fiberglass windows at a price that worked within Thistle's budget.] Vigil says that working on the Thistle Housing project has been a rewarding experience, and he is quick to mention that this has been a group effort. “There were many parties involved in this project, and every one has contributed significantly. We look forward to completing this project very soon; we expect to have people enjoying their new Thistle homes in February.” Thistle Community Housing executive director Mary Roosevelt says that VaST has been “a reliable resource for information in the significant building requirements for energy points as required in our municipality. Joseph has graciously educated Thistle staff on the benefits of using ‘green’ products and techniques, while demonstrating how they fit into our projects.”
|
||||||
FEATURED BUSINESS
Today 30% of the fresh water consumption of the average American home is used to flush toilets. We can no longer afford to flush our toilets with drinking water. Grey Water recycling must be an integral part of our battle to conserve water without reducing our quality of life. Simply by recycling the used domestic bathing water to flush toilets you can reduce your domestic fresh water consumption by 30%. Let Water Legacy help you conserve water so that your children can enjoy a world with sufficient fresh water for all. Mike Vail
|
||||||
|
CANDY SHOP CREATIVE IS LOOKING FOR MEMBERS
|
||||||
|
||||||
| VaST offers architecture, site planning, interior design, space planning, LEED consulting, landscape and signage design services for commercial and residential clients. Our dedicated team provides the technical expertise and creative skill to help every client realize a project that melds their needs and desires. Our Objective — design the most appropriate, stylish and energy-efficient project for the budget. | ||||||
|
||||||
CURRENT PROJECTS |
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
||||||
 |
||||||
|
||||||
 |
