Traditional Windows: Materials and Methods | Full Conference Schedule

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

8:00 – 9:00 am Breakfast, Networking, Sponsor Displays

9:00 – 9:15 am Welcome and Introductions

9:15 – 10:15 am Repairing Historic Wooden Windows: What Architects Need to Know

1 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Unit

Speaker: Brent Hull, Hull Millwork, Fort Worth, TX; craftsman, author and educator

While we usually take in the view of a whole building before we enter, windows are often the first architectural element which we observe at a distance. Like the eyes of a person, they often entice us to look more closely. They are very often important character-defining features of historic buildings. When working on historic preservation projects, they present challenges of energy efficiency, lead removal and maintenance planning. Their loss can be a deal-breaker if historic tax credits are part of the funding mix for your client’s projects. The craft of building, installing and maintaining good wooden windows is an important process for any building professional working on historic buildings or building new traditionally inspired buildings. Join a veteran woodworking craftsman for a master class that covers details common to historical styles, techniques and the importance of saving traditional wooden windows.

Learning Objectives:

Review the stylistic compositions and best craft practices that built traditional wooden windows.
Discuss craft detailing, storm windows and finishes that expand the life of windows in harsh climates.
Explain and specify best practices for installation, maintenance and repairs.
Plan for sound operation in high traffic areas particularly when working in historic residential, commercial and institutional settings.

10:15 – 10:40 Networking Break

10:40 – 12:00 pm Managing Change: Getting the details right in window rehabilitation and replacement

1 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Unit

Speaker: John Sandor, architectural historian, US National Park Service, Washington, DC

The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation are the underpinning for decisions on how windows will be treated in many projects. Though accommodating replacement where repair is unreasonable, the Standards require match. Judging what constitutes an adequate match requires a keen observation of a window in all its parts, an assessment of the varying significance windows can have to the overall character of a building as well as knowledge of the possibilities and limitations of the products available to us as replacements. This session will consider strategies for determining what aspects of a window are most critical for conveying an appropriate historic character and what we can expect to achieve with manufactured products.

Learning Objectives:

Identify the individual components that distinguish the various types of historic windows and discover the role each plays in the overall visual character of a window.
Distinguish the way materials affect dimensions and profiles of typical manufactured replacement windows.
Discover how the consequences of replacement in most cases bolster the argument for retention and repair yet understand how the language of the Standards accommodates useful flexibility.
Balance competing goals of retaining historic material and achieving a good match when choosing the approach for installing needed replacements; and select replacement windows designed for that approach.

12:00 – 12:55 pm Lunch

12:55 – 2 pm Metal Windows: Case Studies of Repair and Replacement

Speakers: Chad Thorell, Historical Arts and Castings, Jordan, UT; William Wilder, Graham Windows, York PA ; and Kurtis Suellentrop, Winco Windows, St. Louis, MO

1 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Unit

Metal windows are an important part of the history of windows, particularly with late 19th and 20th century historic preservation projects. When it comes to new, traditionally inspired work, metal windows have many advantages. The case studies will focus on replacement, substitute materials, installation and maintenance.

Learning Objectives:

List several best building craft practices when repairing or replacing historic metal windows and installing new windows.
Identify the advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches to metal window installation and the products appropriate to each when working on historic buildings or historically inspired buildings.
Consider maintenance, ease of operation, and durability when evaluating historic and new metal windows.
Assess energy efficiency when repairing historic metal windows or replacing metal windows on historic preservation projects.

2:00 pm – 3:05 pm The Long and the Short of It: Window Sizes in Historic Buildings

Speaker: James S. Collins, Architect and President of the North Carolina Chapter of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA), Greensboro, NC

1 AIA Learning Unit

This session will explore the elements, principles and proportions that comprise the vocabulary of Classical and Neoclassical design. The composition, proportions and fenestration of the Georgian Revival buildings of the Wake Forest Campus will also be examined and discussed. Please note: This session will prepare you for the tour of the Wake Forest Campus on the second day of the conference, particularly if you wish to sketch during the tour.

Learn and apply the proportions of Classical Architecture to design contemporary residential and institutional facades and windows based on Classical precedent.
Use centuries old guidelines to create precedent based building elevations and window openings.
Expand your ability to understand the proportional relationships between fenestration and the composition of building facades found in Classical and Neoclassical buildings.
Improve skills to work more closely with craftspeople when designing and building new Classical and traditional buildings.

3:05 – 3:25 pm Networking Break

3:25 – 5:45 pm Union Station Tour

1.25 AIA Learning Units

Tour Leaders: Kyle Sword, Business Development Manager, Pilkington North America, Toledo, OH and Michelle M. McCullough, Project Planner, City of Winston-Salem, NC

Union Station reopens to the public in September 2019 after extensive rehabilitation. A bus will take us to and from Union Station from Graylyn. This guided tour will discuss the details of the renovation and give participants the opportunity to investigate the building.

The station was built between 1924 -1926 and was designed by Fellhimer and Wagner. Alfred T. Fellhimer (1875-1959) was the lead architect for Grand Central Terminal I n NYC. He designed numerous train stations throughout the United States including Union Station in Cincinnati. There will be presentations about the history of the building, Fellhimer and Wagner, and the rehabilitation process.

Please Note: Wear sturdy shoes for walking, the building is wheel chair accessible and please advise us if wheelchair accessible bus transportation is needed by contacting jhayward@aimmedia.com

Learning Objectives:

Explain the history of Alfred T. Fellhimer as an architect for some of the United States’ most important train stations of the 20th century.
Reflect on the frequent use of Beaux Arts architectural elements in American train stations of the early 20th century.
Discuss the transportation design history of Union Station.
List key aspects of the building’s recent rehabilitation such as codes, fenestration, preservation work and accessibility.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

8:00 – 9:00 am Breakfast, Networking, Sponsor Displays

9:00 – 9:15 am Welcome and Introductions

9:15 – 10:15 am The Restoration of Stone Tracery for Stained Glass Windows - Ancient Craftsmanship/Modern Technology

1 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Unit

Speaker: Laurie Wells, Vice-President of Sales, B.E.S., M.A.; Old World Stone Limited, Burlington, Ontario

In 2017, a weather event known as a micro-burst impacted the First Presbyterian Church of Oklahoma City, causing its beautiful west window to bow inwards 16 inches, cracking or fracturing every stone tracery unit. Three-dimensional scans were made of the damaged window to rebuild each piece using robotic milling, CNC routing and the manual talents of stone masons. Once shipped to Oklahoma City, these units were carefully installed by a local masonry contractor, and the new stone tracery window is now fully assembled. The south tracery window of First Presbyterian, also damaged in the micro-burst, is currently in production and will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

Appreciate current processes for recording, cutting, and carving stone when both high-tech equipment and traditional hand tools are in use.
Improve the ability to accurately record field dimensions and sculptural detail for shop drawings and CNC programming.
Identify possible and potential applications for 3-D modeling for other tasks in architectural restoration work.
Assess the benefits and consequences of applying new technology to an ancient craft like stone carving.

10:15 – 10:40 am Networking Break

10:40 am – 12:15 pm Storm Windows: Durability, Efficiency, and Noise Reduction

1.5 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Units

Speakers: David Martin, Allied Window, Cincinnati, OH; Jim Nelson, Mon-Ray, Hopkins, MN; Sam Pardue, Indow Windows, Portland, OR; and Kimber Degling, Innerglass Window Systems, LLC, Simsbury, CT

Storm windows have been a traditional approach to protecting primary windows and improving the ability of buildings to hold heat since the 19th century in the United States. As noise levels have risen in dense urban environments, they have increasingly been used to aid noise reduction, as well. A panel of industry experts will delve into the variety of approaches to storm window design.

Learning Objectives:

Consider the advantages storm windows offer to the protection of historic and new windows.
List ways in which storm windows improve energy performance for historic and new buildings.
Compare and contrast different storm window designs and systems for appearance and compatibility with historic buildings.
Mitigate noise thorough the use of storm window installations for improved occupant comfort.

Noon – 1:00 pm Lunch

1:00 – 2:05 pm Residential and Commercial Window Case Studies

1 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Unit

Speakers: Stephen Payne, Founder, Payne Bouchier, Boston, MA and April Larkins, Project Manager, The Christman Company, Greensboro, NC

This session will feature case studies of projects featuring wooden window repair and replication for historic and existing homes and commercial buildings. Case studies will feature design, hardware, energy and code requirements, and regulatory issues.

Learning objectives:

Consider and apply the challenges of wood window design and manufacture to historic and traditional projects including but not limited to energy efficiency, minimal maintenance, ease of operation, code compliance, appearance and affordability.
Identify the advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches to installation and the products appropriate to each when working on historic buildings or historically inspired buildings.
Improve your ability to estimate costs and production needs for historic preservation and new projects.
Work with manufacturers’ representatives, architects, and craftspeople to design new windows that reflect important historical features for replacement on and additions to historic buildings and traditionally inspired new construction.

2:05 – 2:15 pm Break

2:15 – 3:20 pm Windows: Conservation & Compliance - Window Repair & Replacement Projects

1 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Unit

Speakers: Richard W. Off, AIA, Senior Staff Architect, Hoffman Architects, Inc. and Rachel Palisin, PE, LEED AP, Senior Engineer, Hoffman Architects, Inc.; New York, NY

In addition to fulfilling the fundamental requirement of providing natural light and fresh air into interior spaces, windows play a key role in the defining the character and style of buildings. Restoring historic facades is critical in both maintaining and potentially improving building envelope performance. Without proper assembly fabrication and installation detailing, windows are potential weak links within building enclosure systems, and they can easily become prime opportunities for air and moisture infiltration, thermal bridging, and structural distress.

However, with ever more stringent building codes being established, especially energy codes, certain choices may already be made, especially on structures without official landmark designation. These competing forces generate the need for even more creative solutions, and some potential solutions will be explored in this presentation through a series of select case studies including a comprehensive window replacement project at a National Historic Landmark, early 20th century, Beaux-Arts style armory. As an active military facility, the replacement windows not only need to comply with specified air, water and structural requirements, but also blast-resistance criteria, creating the additional challenge of achieving high security with unreinforced decorative wood frame windows. This presentation will delve into the most relevant codes, essential testing procedures and critical details applicable to historic window replacements but will also examine the possibilities and limitations involved in the repair and retrofit of existing windows.

Learning Objectives:

Gain insight to make critical choices, such as having to balance competing needs by sacrificing one or more aspects of stylistic integrity in order to meet contemporary performance standards, or vice versa.
Apply lessons learned from a window project on a National Historic Landmark serving a high security function to other historic structures found in communities across the US.
Follow procedures to comply with contemporary energy codes.
Identify common problems and solutions with windows to design better building envelope performance.
Evaluate potential repair and/or retrofit options for existing historic windows when replacement is neither desirable nor possible.

3:20 – 3:40 pm Networking Break

3:40 – 6:00 pm Wake Forest University Architectural Tour: A Sustainable Traditional Campus envisioned in the mid-20th century

1.5 AIA Health/Safety/Welfare Learning Units

Speakers: Samuel Binkley, AIA, Senior Project Manager; Rosalba Ledezma, AIA, CEFP, Senior Advisor; and Chris Poe, PE, Director, Planning and Construction; Wake Forest University, Facilities and Campus Services; Winston-Salem, NC; Edwin Bouldin, AIA, Winston-Salem, NC; and Stuart McCormick, AIA, LEED AP, NCARB; President/Design Principal, Lambert Architecture + Interiors, Winston-Salem, NC

Jens Frederick Larson (1891-1981) designed the new Wake Forest campus in a Georgian Revival style during the mid-20th century. According to the Wake Forest University Campus Master Plan, “Larson believed regional materials coupled with local craftsmen result in appropriate architectural contexts that by nature enhance the character of the American collegiate campus. For Larson and the new Wake Forest campus, this meant gravitating to a variant of the Georgian revival style, exemplified by Old Virginia brick and stately sited buildings on grand quadrangles.” The campus master plan goes on to note that, “A distinct fabric has been created over time through the consistency of building-to-open-space relationships, the scale and proportion of the buildings, the complementary use of building materials, and the treatment of the ground plane and landscape.” The tour will explore managing change today within the context of the rich heritage laid out for it in the mid-20th century.

Learning Objectives:

Explain Jens Frederick Larson’s early understanding of sustainable campus design, including building materials, pedestrian walks and working with landscape and site hydrology.
Apply lessons learned from campus facility managers about the maintenance of traditional materials of the buildings and site as well as construction projects for new buildings and rehabilitation of existing buildings.
Take advantage of traditional design flexibility to accommodate extensive interior adaptations while preserving exteriors to use historic buildings that serve contemporary student needs.
Consider traffic modifications made over time and their impact on people who live and work on campus.

Please note: bus transportation to and from Graylyn will be provided. Please advise us if you need a wheelchair accessible bus by contacting jhayward@aimmedia.com or calling 802.674.6752; the tour will be wheelchair accessible. Those who wish to sketch along the way are welcome to do so. Please bring a notebook and pens and pencils if you wish to sketch.