Prince Of Petworth » Dear PoP – Are These Windows Ugly or What?

Dear PoP – Are These Windows Ugly or What?

Windows facing 14th Street

“Dear PoP,

I have been walking by this building for some time and knew that it would probably be turned into condos in the not too distant future. So the work is taking place as we speak but a couple of months ago I saw with much dismay that whoever is doing the conversion installed some really ugly windows facing 14th Street!!!!! how is this possible? the old windows are so cool and that is what I would want if I were going to live in a industrial style loft! Can we get a campaign going to change these butt ugly windows? I took some photos of the windows facing 14th and windows facing T – you can see for yourself that the windows on T are way better!!!!”

Windows facing T Street

That’s a good observation. I do think the windows facing T Street look better but I don’t think the ones facing 14th look terrible. Which do you guys prefer?

Category: Architecture, Buildings, Dear PoPville, Shaw

By: Prince Of Petworth | 29 October 2009 10:05 PM | 18 Comments

Michael Diguiseppe

This building is gonna be Room and Board. I don’t think they are bad windows for retail.

October 29, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Anonymous

How about doing some research before complaining. The building will become a Room & Board furniture store, not condos. Someone walking by the building for a while would notice that the windows facing 14th Street have been there long before construction started (see the Google street view). The press release from Room & Board states that the building will be restored, which would obviously include the 14th Street windows, which are not original to the building.

October 29, 2009 at 10:34 pm
fred g sanford

it’s a Room and Board! by the way, when’s it opening?

October 29, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Los Politico

How can someone know enough to write to PoP, but not enough to read PoP?

October 29, 2009 at 10:58 pm
ogden

R&B won’t be opening until March or April.

They are interviewing now, though, in case anyone is interested in waiting six months for a paycheck…

October 29, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Prince Of Petworth

I promise to stop sniffing glue soon… Sorry I should’ve included this link mentioning that it will become Room and Board:

http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/06/deal-sealed-for-building-at-14th-and-t-room-board-furniture/

October 30, 2009 at 12:06 am
Herb

But back to the windows…are you kidding me that this person is all worked up over new windows on an upper floor? I’m just happy that this semi-abandoned building will be generating new jobs and tax revenue for DC.

This reader needs to seriously chill and worry about things like crime or the dangerous and unprecedented proliferation of creperys on 14th St.

October 30, 2009 at 8:21 am
grumpy

I think the overusage of exclamation points should have been a tip-off that this is a lame question.

October 30, 2009 at 8:56 am
Cory

Are those windows even new? If you look at the old post PoP did announcing R&B moving into the building, you will see windows that look identical to the onces in this current post.

October 30, 2009 at 9:08 am
Drewlove

Those old casement style windows waste a lot of energy. I’m sure the new ones are double paned.

October 30, 2009 at 9:35 am
Eli

…and hilarity ensues lol

October 30, 2009 at 9:44 am
Anonymous

All of the windows in the building will be replaced with new ones. They will match the design/look of the old industrial type windows on T Street. The butt ugly ones will be recycled.

October 30, 2009 at 10:06 am
Marco

Fear not, thee who fears the shaded window! Eric Colbert’s rendering for the building replaces all that you fear with a breath of fresh historical accuracy:

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/image.cgi?src=200907/raptureplanlarge.jpg&ref=2936

October 30, 2009 at 10:29 am
DG-rad

@Herb, window style is important. Design is a big influencer of attitude, emotion, and even where crime happens. (bold statement by me, but I’m a big believer in the broken windows theory .. so if Broken windows can influence, I’m sure ugly ones can as well)

October 30, 2009 at 11:02 am
JohnnyReb

Old windows – inefficient, but appropriate for age/style of building

New windows – black holes. Efficient but void of charm/character

October 30, 2009 at 11:48 am
Crin

Old windows restored – nearly as efficient as new at a fraction of the cost.

October 30, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Anonymous

Just throw any old piece of crap “subject” into the ring and watch them dive in after it, ripping it and each other apart.
Blogs.

October 30, 2009 at 3:39 pm
spookiness

Yeah those old windows would be great if the landlord is paying the utilities.

Crin- I have been at multiple events and talks over the past 5 years related to construction and preservation. Whenever there is anybody from the National Trust in attendance, no matter what the topic of the talk, no matter what the context, they WITHOUT FAIL trot out that constantly repeated assertion. I want to see facts, citations, studies, and tests. I have never seen them. Wood windows can be preserved and tightened up significantly, yes, and in a “historic” residence, that is doable and prefered.

But a single glazed window with metal frames in a commercial building, good luck with that. I live in a residence with single glazed metal-framed windows. Thankfully I’m not in a historic district, and one day I can’t wait to get rid of them. They are so ineffective I may as well just always leave them open, and they have absolutely zero noise suppression capabilities.

Also, I want to hear from the national trust how one would go about restoring all the windows in a house while simultaneously living in it? The process I’m familiar with involves removal of each window sash, where they are sent offsite for restoration, paint stripping, wood repairs/replacement and sometimes upgrading of the glazing, etc. Meanwhile, the head, jambs and sill are all upgraded. Repeat this for each window. How long does this take, and what fills the space while each window is out?

October 31, 2009 at 1:19 am