Clean Air Success Stories
Vertegy founder demonstrates environmental benefits of sustainable building
Article courtesy of the St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership
When it comes to sustainable design and construction, few are more knowledgeable or passionate about the topic than Thomas Taylor, general manager of St. Louis-based Vertegy, the sustainable consulting arm of Alberici Constructors.
With more than 20 years experience as a construction professional and sustainability consultant with Alberici, Taylor served as construction manager for the Alberici Headquarters in Overland, which is recognized by many as the greenest building in the world. His talents helped the facility earn Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification – the highest certification level offered by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The success of the project encouraged Taylor to create Vertegy, a firm focused on helping clients enjoy the benefits of sustainable design.
“The LEED certification system refers to the way a building performs in terms of energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to its impacts on the environment,” said Taylor. “Vertegy works to educate clients on the sustainable design elements that are out there and help them decide which ones would best fit with and benefit their business models.”
Vertegy has and continues to consult on projects nationally and internationally in a variety of sectors. Notable projects include the LEED Platinum William Kerr Foundation building in St. Louis City, a world-class student housing development in Doha, Qatar, and the LEED Gold General Motors facility in Lansing, Mich. The wide variety of projects demonstrates that sustainable features can be incorporated into almost any development, and the benefits they offer to the environment and our air quality abound.
“Sustainable buildings incorporate features that use less energy which helps reduce the amount of emissions released into our air from burning coal used to produce electricity,” noted Taylor. “They also utilize recycled products and renewable materials, helping to reduce pollution and emissions created during resource extraction, manufacturing and disposal, and they incorporate products that are free from Volatile Organic Compounds which are bad for the environment and our air quality.”
Taylor notes that many sustainable building features can also be applied by the average person at home, and he’s worked to utilize many of them in his own residence, which he renovated.
He believes sustainable building will become increasingly important in the future.
“Many people think ‘going green’ is a fad,” said Taylor. “But, with resources only getting more and more scarce, and energy prices continuing to climb, incorporating sustainable practices into construction projects will be a highly valuable choice, both in terms of the environment and a company’s overall bottom line.”
To learn more about going green and helping improve the region’s air quality, visit www.cleanair-stlouis.com or call the American Lung Association at (314) 645-5505, ext. 1007. For more information on Vertegy, visit www.vertegyconsultants.com.
