The first person to email me back about an incorrect fact, can come by the Candy Shop and get a bottle of VaST wine! (Family members excluded).

The Energy of Hickory House By Jack Bumgardner

Hickory House in Boulder is not made of hickory and isn’t a traditional house. In fact, the only wooden part of the house is the front door. The vast majority is made of stone. So, if people who live in glass houses are ill-advised to throw stones, what does it mean when people live in a stone house? It means that they know a thing or two about green design. Brandy LeMae and Joseph Vigil of VaST Architecture and Design designed their Boulder home, Hickory House, with a unique blend of modern, green techniques, classic, inspired design and good old common sense.

Practicing what they provide for their clients, Brandy and Joseph intentionally built a home for themselves and their family that is a model of using twenty-first century products and style. But they didn’t build it just to be new and modern. “When we decided to build a house for ourselves our first priority was to make it as green as possible,” Brandy said, “because it’s the right thing to do.”

That philosophy brought them to an alphabet soup of building materials, such as SIP (structurally insulated panels,) ICF (insulated concrete forms) and CMU (concrete masonry units.) They also used durable finishes, such as concrete floors, stucco and metal siding. All of these materials keep heat loss to a minimum. For the interior of Hickory House they used low VOC- (volatile organic compound) emitting materials for healthier indoor air quality.

Since building Hickory House in 2003, VaST Architecture has used similar building materials and technologies for all of their homes built from the ground up. “The benefits of building green are lower energy bills, healthier air quality, lower maintenance costs, increased resale value, and being environmentally responsible. Also, it just makes your home more comfortable,” Brandy explained.

Although Hickory House is an original design by VaST Architecture, it is inspired by some classic homes and architects. “We were inspired by the Los Angeles Case Study homes,” Brandy said. “Some of our favorite designers from the program were Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames and Rudolf Schindler.” The couple even made a trip to Los Angeles to tour these homes.

After completing their research they spent nine months designing the house and six-and-a-half months constructing it. Brandy advises other potential home builders/ owners to invest as much time as they can before building. “It is always less expensive to make changes on paper than it is during construction. So allow yourself and your architect the time to work through all those design decisions before you break ground,” she offers, displaying the common sense that helped her and Joseph sail through construction of their home.

Yet, Brandy and Joseph know that even if you have an existing home it can still benefit from “green” design and materials.  To Brandy, a green home is one that is energy efficient and as healthy as possible. She suggests that interested homeowners hire a professiona to help them “green” their home as well as having a professional conduct an energy audit. Next, the homeowner should “consider reconfiguring existing space rather than just plopping on an extra thousand feet.” And they should always consider where and how a product is manufactured. She especially touts SIP construction as a “real time-saver if implemented correctly.”

The result of Brandy and Joseph’s and VaST Architecture’s efforts is a home that is uniquely twenty-first century with a twentieth century heritage of sleek lines and open spaces. The interior is warm in tone as well as temperature. And while the windows give a terrific view of the Flatirons, they also provide insulation and beautiful light. The cement floors and linoleum countertop add to the smoothness and freshness of the interior. And while Hickory House blends in effortlessly with its Boulder landscape, it also provides a comforting home for a family that champions environmentally friendly living.

Asked if she would change anything about Hickory House if she and Joseph were building it today, Brandy says that they would add an HRV (heat recovery ventilator) because, “The house was so tight we ended up with some condensation issues in the master bath and bedroom.” She also said that they would use fiberglass windows for their “durability, energy efficiency and color options.” Both of these products are now used in the homes they build for their clients.

However, the clients they had to work for in building Hickory House seem pretty satisfied with their efforts. “Our seven-year-old daughter loves her bright orange bedroom. Joseph enjoys cooking a great meal and spending family time in the kitchen/dining room. And I just enjoy relaxing on the living room sofa and taking in views of the Flatirons,” Brandy said when asked about the family’s favorite rooms. And Hickory House, while made of stone and modern, green materials brings the best sort of energy to Boulder-the energy of a wonderful home.