flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Proven 6-step approach to treating historic windows

Proven 6-step approach to treating historic windows

This AIA/CES course is worth 1.0 AIA LU/HSW


By Erin L. Aichler & Benjamin J. Robinson, Hoffmann Architects | October 14, 2014
This article first appeared in the BD+C June 2013 issue of BD+C.
This course provides step-by-step prescriptive advice to architects, engineers, and contractors on when it makes sense to repair or rehabilitate existing windows, and when they should advise their building owner clients to consider replacement.
 
When planning treatment for windows on a historic structure, the first step in the decision process is to evaluate the architectural significance of the windows in terms of overall building appearance. If the windows are important to the historic character of the building, stock replacements that don’t consider the aesthetic integrity of the structure might negatively impact the building’s look—and diminish its value.
 
With that key decision in place, the course goes on to describe the planning and rehabilitation process, through to ongoing maintenance.
 
After reading this article, you should be able to:
  • Identify deterioration conditions at historic wood or steel windows in order to plan for appropriate treatment.
  • Evaluate repair and replacement options in terms of aesthetics, logistics, maintenance, and energy efficiency to develop a rehabilitation strategy that blends practical considerations with material and energy conservation.
  • Apply accepted practices for abatement of hazardous materials to the treatment of historic windows, to reduce exposure risk and protect the surrounding environment from the accidental release of toxic compounds.
  • Specify design options for windows classified as weathered, deteriorated, severely deteriorated, and life safety risk that improve thermal performance and safety without compromising historic character.

 

TAKE THIS FREE BD+C UNIVERSITY COURSE

    

    

    

Related Stories

Adaptive Reuse | Jul 30, 2024

Empty mall to be converted to UCLA Research Park

UCLA recently acquired a former mall that it will convert into the UCLA Research Park that will house the California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy at UCLA and the UCLA Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, as well as programs across other disciplines. The 700,000-sf property, formerly the Westside Pavilion shopping mall, is two miles from the university’s main Westwood campus. Google, which previously leased part of the property, helped enable and support UCLA’s acquisition.

Geothermal Technology | Jul 29, 2024

Rochester, Minn., plans extensive geothermal network

The city of Rochester, Minn., home of the famed Mayo Clinic, is going big on geothermal networks. The city is constructing Thermal Energy Networks (TENs) that consist of ambient pipe loops connecting multiple buildings and delivering thermal heating and cooling energy via water-source heat pumps.

High-rise Construction | Jul 29, 2024

Safdie Architects’ Shanghai office tower features glass-enclosed corner garden that ascends the 35-story structure

Safdie Architects has announced the completion of LuOne Mixed-Use Complex—a business, retail, and entertainment development in the Luwan district of Shanghai, China. The mixed-use complex consists of an eight-level retail galleria, which opened in 2018, and a 35-story office tower, which recently reached completion. 

Casinos | Jul 26, 2024

New luxury resort casino will be regional draw for Shreveport, Louisiana area

Live! Casino & Hotel Louisiana, the first land-based casino in the Shreveport-Bossier market, recently topped off. The $270+ project will serve as a regional destination for world-class gaming, dining, entertainment, and hotel amenities.

Smart Buildings | Jul 25, 2024

A Swiss startup devises an intelligent photovoltaic façade that tracks and moves with the sun

Zurich Soft Robotics says Solskin can reduce building energy consumption by up to 80% while producing up to 40% more electricity than comparable façade systems.

Codes and Standards | Jul 25, 2024

GSA and DOE select technologies to evaluate for commercial building decarbonization

The General Services Administration and the U.S. Department of Energy have selected 17 innovative building technologies to evaluate in real-world settings throughout GSA’s real estate portfolio.

Great Solutions | Jul 23, 2024

41 Great Solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors

AI ChatBots, ambient computing, floating MRIs, low-carbon cement, sunshine on demand, next-generation top-down construction. These and 35 other innovations make up our 2024 Great Solutions Report, which highlights fresh ideas and innovations from leading architecture, engineering, and construction firms.

Senior Living Design | Jul 23, 2024

The growing importance of cultural representation in senior living communities

Perkins Eastman architect Mwanzaa Brown reflects on the ties between architecture, interior design, and the history and heritage of a senior living community’s population.

MFPRO+ News | Jul 22, 2024

Miami luxury condominium tower will have more than 50,000 sf of amenities

Continuum Club & Residences, a new 32-story luxury condominium tower in the coveted North Bay Village of Miami will feature more than 50,000 sf of indoor and outdoor amenities. The program includes a waterfront restaurant, dining terraces with resident privileges, and a private dining room outdoor pavilion.

Healthcare Facilities | Jul 22, 2024

5 healthcare building sector trends for 2024-2025

Interactive patient care systems and trauma-informed design are among two emerging trends in the U.S. healthcare building sector, according to BD+C's 2024 Healthcare Annual Report (free download; short registration required). 

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Urban Planning

Bridging the gap: How early architect involvement can revolutionize a city’s capital improvement plans

Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) typically span three to five years and outline future city projects and their costs. While they set the stage, the design and construction of these projects often extend beyond the CIP window, leading to a disconnect between the initial budget and evolving project scope. This can result in financial shortfalls, forcing cities to cut back on critical project features.



Libraries

Reasons to reinvent the Midcentury academic library

DLR Group's Interior Design Leader Gretchen Holy, Assoc. IIDA, shares the idea that a designer's responsibility to embrace a library’s history, respect its past, and create an environment that will serve student populations for the next 100 years.

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021