New York City’s historical buildings have enchanted and endured, but not so much the windows. Often originally built out of wood, the passing of time, changing weather patterns, and pace of modern life, have rendered them drafty, leaky, and noisy. Even windows replaced with more modern materials in relatively recent times have not sustained. Largely aluminum, a replacement window’s interaction with the existing building fabric was less understood, leading to condensation, mold, inadequate solar properties, and poor thermal quality.
CANY, renowned for their work over almost three decades to restore and make safe NYC’s distinctive facades, have also established a reputation in redevelopment, adaptive re-use, and new construction of building enclosures. Making windows, and their performance, integral to our work.
Whether traditionally defined, or as part of a contemporary curtainwall, windows can be key to upgrading and futureproofing a building to increase performance, reduce energy costs, and raise occupants’ living experience. In some cases, especially heritage buildings, upgrading windows is the most significant way to tangibly impact on a building’s sustainability and compliance with energy codes, including Local Law 97.
At CANY, we understand replacing windows, especially on larger buildings, can be expensive, disruptive, and fraught with potential pitfalls. But science, technology, manufacturing processes and a greater understanding of how buildings function under pressure have progressed exponentially. Our extensive experience with windows means we can guide you through the plethora of requirements including light, heat, insulation, noise, aesthetic, and compliance with local laws from reflectiveness for birds to energy values. We can help you make decisions that work with your budget, timescale and needs.
Windows are an asset, in low rental housing or ultra-modern high-rise hospitals to heritage, landmark New York City icons. And at CANY we can help you to keep them that way.
