Who we are
We are a small women, minority, family owned and operated architectural firm. Our team members are the principal architect, designers, an intern engineer and BIM operators. We take pride in performing beautiful, functional, sturdy and sustainable architecture. We develop our projects in BIM with a high level of detail that enables the owner and construction team to build any project without encountering errors and mistakes on drawings and specifications ensuring a smooth, fast, reliable and flawless construction.
Our team is led by its principal architect which possess vast knowledge in building codes and outstanding architectural design skills.
Our history
VITAL
Means life; Architecture is our passion, our life endeavor and our vocation. Let’ us do our job in life which is serve your project needs.
Our Philosophy
Architecture is the good combination of form aesthetics, function and Structure
Let's us provide you with architectural services that accomplishes these goals.
Sustainable Architecture
We should strive to heal our planet through the proper use of construction building materials and methods. A passive architectural design like building orientation to sun, wind exposure and climate responsiveness is the first step to gain sustainability in our world.
Learning process
Through the years Carmen Vital the principal architect has taken part time off from V.A. duties to become certified in ICC as a commercial plans examiner, Commercial Building Inspector, Leed AP+ BD, Primavera P6 construction scheduler and this year in MEP Autodesk Revit; and last of all this list; she is expecting to become proficient soon in Wright-Soft HVAC calculation software. The goal is to take our company to be able to do all design needed in house with higher quality standards delivered to our clients and contractors.
Team members
Isabel Garcia joined VA in 2012, she left after a few years to obtain a masters in construction management and financing.
Silvia Vital joined VA in 2018, she is been with us since. Later on we were joined in part time by Andres Ayala Vital. Dora Vital join us on her vacation time from architecture school. Carla Vital supported VA with Lumion's software work.
Carmen's daughters Alexis and Sophia Antonopoulos have worked sporadically with as built site measurements and client meetings for displaying projects presentations.
Tutoring
Carmen has tutored the Vital's clan to improve their proficiency in Revit and construction document production for younger future architects generation to learn the construction trade and enjoy the practice of architecture.
Our company was founded
in 2007 in a home studio in Arapahoe Acres, Englewood Co.
We are helping contractor's work
We want to make it easy on contractors to make their construction estimates from our construction document permit packages by providing them with automatic material take off from the BIM documents, by providing them with high percentage of accuracy needed to be more competitive and time efficient on their bidding process.
We are helping contractor's work
We want to make it easy on contractors to make their construction estimates from our construction document permit packages by providing them with automatic material take off from the BIM documents, by providing them with high percentage of accuracy needed to be more competitive and time efficient on their bidding process.
Fixer uppers: Save yourself some agony and regrets, before you listen to a realtor to buy an old run down property with lots of vacant lot area, hire us to do a Project feasibility study. Architect will better determine if the property is apt to be able to achieve successfully your project to be complaint with zoning and building codes. If the project is residential; we could do the study in a couple of days ensuring that your purchase is based on a good investigative research work that will help you to make the best project site selection desicion.
Material take off estimating
Integrated BIM w/Gordian Dodge RS Means Residential Cost Data
Building Information Modeling with high level of detail with automatic integrated material data so builders can easily make construction estimates on the project with high level of accuracy removing the need to do manual, lengthy and tedious construction material quantity calculations.
Our work
Buildings video tour in Lumion.
Residential less than 1 acre drainage erosion and sediment control plans, rural areas septic tanks.
Feasibility project type data: Studies land use zoning district allowable in coordination with all building code regulations. Architect defines then a schematic design proposing the main and distinctive features of an architectural charrette option that will comply with the site jurisdiction applicable laws.
Land Entitlement for minor subdivisions for small acreage for residential.
Sustainable design.
Architectural design.
Tenant improvement architectural services.
BIM Architectural , structural and MEP Building information modeling with high level of detail.
Residential construction material take off from BIM with integration of Gordian RS Means residential construction costs data.
Zoning district Building Project Feasibility Study
Compile all pertinent information from Zoning code, Building Code, and any other jurisdictions laws, to perform a schematic architectural design that will be compliant with all the requirements for the specific project types available to each site.
Disciplines:
Our Services
Our team
- Dora Lucia Vital Architectural student intern
- Andres Ayala Vital, Intern Civil Engineer. (Drainage, erosion and sediment control plans, septic tank design)
We love our beautiful beach house designed by V.A. It withstood a level 3 hurricane, even with the extensive windows. The beach views are outstanding. The soils were weak but with a good caissons design the house is strong as a rock.
V.A. created elegant interior design for our wine bar in Cherry Creek in Denver. The existing space was well distributed and functional. We rehired V.A. for a second time for our summer dining patio area addition.
V.A. designed my mountain home. The house turned out to be a cozy, functional and beautiful. The project was delivered as promised.
1.- Legal and or topographic survey
2.- Site Plan
Gather your project information:
Site Address location, square footage of lot, Site survey or existing drawing plans ( if available). Think of the different possibilities of projects that you are desiring to do on your property. We will gather all your data plus the applicable jurisdiction law and code requirements, and we will be your guide to convert all questions and inquiries into a visible detailed building project that will meet and exceed your expectations in beauty, function, durability, stability and sustainability.
Tell us about your exciting project, VA team will convert your expectations into reality!
RESIDENTIAL PORTFOLIO
New single family home fronting Washington Park in Denver Co. .
2 stories plus basement and rooftop amenities to view Wash Park
New half acre subdivision in Commerce City.
V.A. performed an annexation, variance and subdivision process.
New single family home in Cancun, Yucatan, Mexico.
The architects design approach was to elevate the house to gain access to caribean oceaan views.
The structural design contained 18′ height caissons due to low bearing capacity soils and high water table besides being located in a hurricane zone.
Existing historic building in Littleton Co. . A detached accessory Dwelling Unit was added at the rear. The parking requirements for the existing lawyers office in conjunction with the new ADU was preliminary rejected by Littleton but after a very careful review of zoning code interpretation; the parking was allowed to fit within the tight site constrains.
House addition in Lafayette dr. in Arapahoe Acres, Englewood Co.
Existing 80 year old house with detached 15′ height, 3 car garage. The garage did not have a 3′ depth foundation. The foundation was retrofitted with perimeter solid insulation per the ASCE shallow foundations manual design. The existing garage was successfully salvaged from being demolished and converted into habitable space for the new attached dwelling unit saving the owner thousand of dollars in construction costs and avoiding any possible construction material disposal from going to the landfill saving also demolition costs.
COMMERCIAL HOSPITALITY
- Hotel and Brewery schematic design package for investors marketing.
COMMERCIAL TENANT IMPROVEMENT
Tenant improvement Wine Bar with self serve wine machine dispensing equipment in Cherry Creek, Denver Co.
Tenant Improvement Change use from storage warehouse to marihuana husbandry and laboratory processing of product. 40,000 s.f. area.
Bakery shop drive in addition to existing building in Denver Co.
Exterior rendering.
Bakery shop interior rendering in Denver Co.
Muslam Mosk at Aurora Co.
New marketing photorealistic rendering package for gathering funds for new project.
SPECIFICATIONS WRITING
WORKING AS A YOUNG ARCHITECT under B&B Architecture and H&L ARCHITECTURE joint venture employment, Carmen held a position there as a specification writer, she based her work on a master specification from Denver Public Schools. Carmen received outstanding positive review for her work in a very large brand new school project.
WORKING with Praxarc design under supervision of Nickolaus Antonopoulos, Carmen performed a position as a project architect. Duties were to do construction drawings and building codes review to finalize being in responsible charge and stamping the architectural project package to the Englewood Building Dept. The project was a mixed use of medical outpatient offices and residential condominiums.
Harley Davidson
Working in conjunction with Praxarc Design, Carmen performed the duty of a project architect having done construction drawings and being in responsible charge and stamping of the architectural set, building codes review, and consultants coordination .
Starbucks Cafe at Illif street.
Carmen performed the construction architectural tenant improvement package following Starbucks guidelines.
Harley Davidson Aerial Main entry
Harley Davidson Aerial view. In conjuntion with Praxarc, Carmen performed the duties of a project architect bein in responsible charge and stamping the architectural submittal package to the jurisdiction.
Aerial site for Mxed use for Masonic temple, medical outpatient offices plus condominiums in Englewood Co.
ADAPTIVE REUSE Partial change of Residential apts. to hotel
Stay Alfred apartments conversion
Government internship and consultant work.
Carmen spent 3 months doing an internship in the Town of Castle Rock Zoning and building department as zoning and architectural plans examiner. Having work both in the private and government sector gained her the understanding of the process to successfully perform projects seeing them from different perspectives and points of views.
Carmen performed consultant work for the city of Aspen Co. during a few months to update the building department Building web site permit requirements checklist and guidelines for submittals. Having lived in the mountains was a wonderful experience due that the town has very high standards of building requirements due the vast and high economic range of its population.
Having worked under a medium size architectural firm, Carmen’s work was to transform 25% of an existing apartment building into hotel rooms. A code extensive code review for high riser was done to successfully convert the apartments into hotel rooms, changing mainly means of egress signage and exiting
It all originated from:
Carmen Vital and a few members of her family; inherited from her father which was a recognized civil engineer; the vocation towards the construction field.
Architecture runs in our blood!
