Re-View, a window restoration company, was called upon to restore the windows in The Richardson Olmsted Complex, which is an iconic structure. Given our past experience in working on a Kirkbride asylum at the Oregon State Hospital, it was a natural to work on another. Re-View’s unique talents to manage large, complex window projects with hundreds of windows makes us an ideal fit for this type of work.
During the project, over 1,600 window sash were shipped to the Re-View window restoration plant. Our craftsmen removed all of the existing glazing and attempted to save all of the original glass. It was the intention of the project team to save as much of the original fabric of the landmark structure as possible. We then disassembled every window sash into its individual components to restore each part individually. The sash were restored using a combination of restoration epoxies and replica replacement parts. We then reassembled the parts so all the joinery would be as tight and structurally sound as it was in 1870.
One interesting aspect of H.H. Richardson’s designs are the muntin patterns on the window sash. He was responsible for making the architectural style known as Richardsonian Romanesque popular and his small, multi-lite windows accent that style. Many of the sash had more than 60 small lites of glass. This level of detail required meticulous work on the part of our window restoration craftsmen.
Re-View took the original glass and glazed it into the restored sash using glazing putty. You can see from some of the pictures the quality of our putty lines on our work. This is the kind of quality you can expect from Re-View. Our finishers applied a custom factory finish to the interior and exterior of each sash prior to shipping back to the site.
At the project site, crews restored the existing frames in place and applied finishes and new perimeter sealants. The restored sash were installed in their respective locations and a custom aluminum storm window was installed to provide for an energy efficient building envelope.
Re-View was excited to work on another Kirkbride building. We are just insane enough to take on such projects.
History of the Richardson Olmsted Complex
The Richardson Olmsted Complex in Buffalo, New York was designed by the renowned architect H.H. Richardson, who was one of the most famous architects in the United States and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park. The complex was completed in 1870 and was another Kirkbride Plan for the mentally ill (see Oregon State Hospital). Three of the primary buildings were restored in 2013 to become a boutique hotel, convention center, and museum.
