From Boulder Daily Camera 11/30/09

When you talk to Joseph Vigil, principal

architect and co-owner of VaST Architecture,

about his work, words like Passion and

Inspiration come 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 forBoulder 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 thenuts-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,” Vigilexplains, “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 – likeflushing 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 donationsof goods and services to help support the Thistle project. “I got a call from Mike Vail at WaterLegacy. He was interested in thefeasibility of building a graywater system into the new building’slaundry 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 thatthe typical home uses 30 percent of its fresh water to flush toilets.“Graywater is treatable and can beeasily made safe,” Mike Vail says.

Water Legacy’s system uses the dual disinfecting effects of hydrogenperoxide and UV rays to deliver safeand 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 inthe nation,” Vail says.

Thistle’s graywater system, which Joseph Vigil estimates will costaround $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.”

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 field of green building, and can translate and coordinate 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.”