flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

A brief history of windows in America

A brief history of windows in America

Historic window experts from Hoffmann Architects look back at the origin of windows in the U.S.


By Hoffmann Architects | June 28, 2013
It’s easy to lose sight of the significance of historic windows when all they seem to contribute to the building aesthetic is peeling paint, rotting wood, corroding steel, or broken glass. To appreciate the architectural worth of aging windows, we must look back, briefly, at their origins.
 
The earliest American windows were wood casement windows, hinged at the sides. By the early 1800s, sliding single- and double-hung windows had come into popular use. However, devastating fires in a number of U.S. cities during the late 19th century led to the widespread adoption of strict fire codes, which decreased the prevalence of wood windows.
 
At the same time, the Industrial Revolution brought about major advances in rolled steel, permitting the mass production of steel windows. These fire-resistant frames and sashes became the standard for factories and commercial buildings, as well as for larger residential and university buildings, while wood windows continued to dominate the single-family residential market.
 
Steel remained the primary material for industrial, commercial, and institutional windows in the United States well into the 20th century. The strength of steel permitted larger expanses of glass, which enabled the thin profiles and repeated window patterns of Art Deco and early Modernist buildings. Then, after World War II, aluminum windows gained popularity due to their lower price and non-corroding properties. Toward the end of the 20th century, wood windows also fell out of fashion, as many homeowners replaced the original windows on their turn-of-the-century houses with vinyl, both for its inexpensiveness and for its promise of minimal maintenance.
 
Unfortunately, the replacement of original wood or steel windows with cheaper materials can significantly impact building appearance. Aluminum, for example, is much weaker than steel, requiring bulkier frame profiles that can destroy the delicate look afforded by multi-pane steel windows. Likewise, vinyl may discolor and warp over time, making it a far less durable material over the long term than the original wood.
 
The good news for building owners is that options for treating deteriorated historic windows are plentiful. Energy-saving retrofits, repair, or parts replacement can restore existing windows to like-new functional condition. Should replacement be called for, it is often possible to locate or custom-make historic replicas that won’t compromise building character.

Related Stories

| Jan 25, 2011

AIA reports: Hotels, retail to lead U.S. construction recovery

U.S. nonresidential construction activity will decline this year but recover in 2012, led by hotel and retail sectors, according to a twice-yearly forecast by the American Institute of Architects. Overall nonresidential construction spending is expected to fall by 2% this year before rising by 5% in 2012, adjusted for inflation. The projected decline marks a deteriorating outlook compared to the prior survey in July 2010, when a 2011 recovery was expected.

| Jan 25, 2011

Jester Jones Schifer Architects, Ltd. Joins GPD Group

GPD Group is excited to announce that Jester Jones Schifer Architects, a Marion-based architectural firm, has joined our firm, now enabling GPD Group to provide architectural services to the Central-Ohio market.

| Jan 21, 2011

Combination credit union and USO center earns LEED Silver

After the Army announced plans to expand Fort Bliss, in Texas, by up to 30,000 troops, FirstLight Federal Credit Union contracted NewGround (as CM) to build a new 16,000-sf facility, allocating 6,000 sf for a USO center with an Internet café, gaming stations, and theater.

| Jan 21, 2011

Manufacturing plant transformed into LEED Platinum Clif Bar headquarters

Clif Bar & Co.’s new 115,000-sf headquarters in Emeryville, Calif., is one of the first buildings in the state to meet the 2008 California Building Energy Efficiency Standards. The structure has the largest smart solar array in North America, which will provide nearly all of its electrical energy needs.

| Jan 21, 2011

Primate research facility at Duke improves life for lemurs

Dozens of lemurs have new homes in two new facilities at the Duke Lemur Center in Raleigh, N.C. The Releasable Building connects to a 69-acre fenced forest for free-ranging lemurs, while the Semi-Releasable Building is for lemurs with limited-range privileges.

| Jan 21, 2011

Harlem facility combines social services with retail, office space

Harlem is one of the first neighborhoods in New York City to combine retail with assisted living. The six-story, 50,000-sf building provides assisted living for residents with disabilities and a nonprofit group offering services to minority groups, plus retail and office space.

| Jan 21, 2011

Nothing dinky about these residences for Golden Gophers

The Sydney Hall Student Apartments combines 125 student residences with 15,000 sf of retail space in the University of Minnesota’s historic Dinkytown neighborhood, in Minneapolis.

| Jan 21, 2011

Revamped hotel-turned-condominium building holds on to historic style

The historic 89,000-sf Hotel Stowell in Los Angeles was reincarnated as the El Dorado, a 65-unit loft condominium building with retail and restaurant space. Rockefeller Partners Architects, El Segundo, Calif., aimed to preserve the building’s Gothic-Art Nouveau combination style while updating it for modern living.

| Jan 21, 2011

Sustainable history center exhibits Fort Ticonderoga’s storied past

Fort Ticonderoga, in Ticonderoga, N.Y., along Lake Champlain, dates to 1755 and was the site of battles in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. The new $20.8 million, 15,000-sf Deborah Clarke Mars Education Center pays homage to the French magasin du Roi (the King’s warehouse) at the fort.

| Jan 21, 2011

Library planned for modern media enthusiasts

The England Run Library, a new 30,000-sf glass, brick, and stone building, will soon house more than 100,000 books and DVDs. The Lukmire Partnership, Arlington, Va., designed the Stafford County, Va., library, the firm’s fourth for the Central Rappahannock Library System, to combine modern library-browsing trends with traditional library services.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Great Solutions

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.




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