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Hudson Square Development

Cladded

Nestled in Hudson Square not far from Tribeca, this mixed-use commercial and residential development featured hundreds of custom bronze-clad windows, doors, and details. Originally built as a coal plant in the 19th century, the redevelopment was a successful attempt at marrying the old with the new. We used a combination of copper-clad teak and white oak for the windows across various floors. The custom bronze details were a striking addition to the building’s industrial facade.

Architect: Cookfox Architects, DPC
Location: New York, NY
Area: 4304 sq.ft
Year of completion: 2022

Open AWD was asked to design custom window and door units for the building. Because the development fell under the Landmarks Preservation Commission, it was subject to strict guidelines governing the type and style of windows and doors.

A striking red-brick corner building with arched windows and industrial architectural detailing sits prominently on a city intersection, its historical facade blending with modern urban life as it supports a contemporary residential tower that juts upward with cantilevered balconies, while pedestrians and parked cars line both streets under a gray overcast sky, flanked by a diverse mix of adjacent buildings including glass-clad structures and older masonry edifices, creating a vivid contrast between old and new in a bustling metropolitan environment.
Symmetrically framed red-brick building facade featuring repetitive arched windows with dark mullions, flanked by strong vertical and horizontal stone banding elements that accentuate its historic industrial aesthetic, while the lower level presents modernized tall black-framed glass entryways and storefronts, including a central entrance with a concrete canopy above, where a row of parked vehicles lines the street below against the backdrop of soft afternoon light casting shadows across the richly textured surface.
Centrally focused entrance of a historic red-brick building adorned with horizontally laid stone banding, featuring a large modern glass doorway flanked by tall bronze-toned metal frames beneath a prominent overhanging concrete canopy, topped by a window box planter with dry ornamental grasses and shrubs, while a tall industrial-style window above is divided by vertical iron mullions and framed in dark metal with decorative roundels, all illuminated by warm interior lighting and dappled sunlight casting golden reflections across the façade, with two parked cars grounding the scene in a contemporary urban context.

Open Architectural Windows and Doors was delighted to be asked to join a team of developers and architects who sought to redevelop a 19th century industrial warehouse into a modernist masterpiece. Located in the heart of Manhattan, the project involved the gutting of a large, historical redbrick building and its complete renovation.

THE DESIGN PROCESS

A collection of five metallic material samples arranged neatly on a white surface next to the bottom left corner of a silver laptop keyboard, including a bronze-toned extruded aluminum profile with dual channels, a patinated turquoise-colored copper sheet with mottled texture, two rectangular dark metal plates with rounded edges and small corner holes—one matte and the other with subtle discoloration—and a scratched, square-cut brass or bronze plate placed diagonally, all representing various metal finishes and oxidation states used in architectural or industrial design contexts.

Our team spent thousands of hours researching, planning, and modeling different types of windows to suit the unique look of the building.

We not only wanted to retain the historic look and feel of the windows, we wanted to modernize them and ensure they were as energy efficient as possible.

Because of its Manhattan location and its proximity to the river, it made no sense to try and retain the original wooden windows. It was, however, possible to retain a similar aesthetic to wooden windows.

Our team also spent a considerable amount of time researching the best possible hardware for the units. Again, performance and durability were important factors in choosing these elements.

PRODUCTION PROCESS

The production process for this project was a particularly long and rigorous one. We needed everything to be perfect and there were many variables. We compiled dozens of possible models for the IGUs. Many of the units were oversized and each was custom-made to suit the building’s arched windows.

A meticulously crafted window mock-up featuring a rich copper cladding system with sharp, mitered corners and a warm, reddish metallic finish, integrated into a wooden frame with natural grain textures, displayed in a workshop setting with visible tools, cardboard boxes, wood components, and shelving in the background, highlighting precision fabrication and high-end material contrast for architectural applications.
A series of meticulously crafted arched and rectangular wooden window frames uniformly stacked on wheeled carts in a spacious industrial workshop, each bundle neatly organized and secured with white straps and blue lifting loops, surrounded by structural steel beams, vertical storage racks, and overhead fluorescent lighting, reflecting a high level of precision manufacturing, large-scale production, and material handling in a professional carpentry or joinery facility.
Multiple freshly varnished wooden window sashes with mullions are suspended vertically from metal hooks on an overhead conveyor system inside a narrow, industrial paint or drying booth, with fluorescent lights lining the walls and casting reflections on the glossy wood finishes, and the background receding into a dimly lit tunnel of hanging frames awaiting further processing.
Large arched wooden-framed window unit with clear double-glazed panes and black muntin bars is positioned horizontally in a workshop setting, surrounded by MDF panels for protection, with visible hinges indicating an operable sash, while in the background, various other window and door assemblies are lined up vertically on racks in a well-lit industrial fabrication space.
Close-up cross-sectional view of a high-quality wooden window frame featuring a complex joinery profile and multiple material layers, including a reddish-brown bronze cladding fitted over the exterior for weather protection, precision-cut wood joinery elements forming insulation and sealing cavities, embedded gaskets and fasteners indicating a high-performance thermal or acoustic window system, with blurred hands of a person in the background suggesting manual assembly or inspection in a professional workshop setting.

The muntins we used for this project, for example, were specifically designed for these windows only. We mocked up multiple models before settling on the exact ones everyone agreed on. Once everyone was happy with these, we finalized each unit and sent off our plans to the manufacturing company.

The upper facade of a brick building undergoing renovation, the windows are boarded up with white plywood, indicating ongoing construction.
A close-up view of a rustic architectural junction showing a weathered white-painted timber lintel intersecting with a red brick arch above, a grey concrete wall to the right bearing drill holes and remnants of blue graffiti, and visible signs of aging, wear, and previous construction modifications, highlighting a structural blend of materials and techniques often found in historic or repurposed buildings.

You can see two pictures above of what remained after the old windows were removed. Below, you can see our windows installed.

A symmetrical façade of a red brick building featuring two vertically aligned sets of large windows with black grilles and mullions, the upper arched windows glowing with warm interior light revealing gym equipment behind them, while the lower rectangular windows are unlit and partially obscured, all framed by alternating horizontal concrete bands and arched concrete keystones that emphasize the historic industrial architectural style.
A large, multi-pane industrial-style window framed by red brick and concrete bands, featuring decorative black cast iron elements with floral rosettes and fluted pilasters, reflecting a neighboring building's façade in its glass, with warm light from the interior subtly visible behind the grid-like window structure, contributing to the architectural richness and historic character of the urban exterior.
A black wooden front door with a circular knocker, a mail slot, and decorative recessed panels is set within a red brick building façade featuring a rounded archway made of alternating red and gray bricks, topped by a transom window with the number "92" in modern black numerals, all illuminated by a sleek, wall-mounted exterior light fixture on the left side of the doorframe.
A tall arched window with a dark metal frame and six panes is symmetrically set into a red brick wall, topped by a decorative arch of alternating red and gray bricks, and featuring a gray stone sill at the base, while faint reflections of lights and surroundings are visible in the window glass.

TESTING

After this, we had some mock-up sample units created, we water-tested them in the factory. This was done multiple times to ensure that they were adequately water-resistant. The installation team tested the units once they arrived in New York, prior to installation. Subsequently, they tested the units thoroughly post-installation.

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A wooden arched window prototype with a six-pane grid design is mounted in a laboratory testing rig, surrounded by various mechanical arms, sensors, and hoses for evaluating performance, with a detached window sash leaning in the foreground and office shelves with binders visible in the background.
The Wind Maker test kit by SprayRackїused in water penetration testing, commonly for window and curtain wall systems
Chamber setup for window performance testing, likely for air or water infiltration tests, such as those conforming to ASTM E283, ASTM E331, or ASTM E1105 standards.
A man in a mustard-yellow shirt and khaki work pants operates a large vertical woodworking machine while assembling a rectangular wooden window frame, surrounded by industrial equipment, control panels, and stacked materials in a spacious, well-lit workshop with visible ceiling pipes and a tiled floor.
A man in a mustard-orange shirt and beige work pants stands on a stepladder adjusting a large glass pane within a vertical storage or processing rack inside a brightly lit industrial facility, with green backlit panels, overhead wiring, and a second person crouching in front of the unit while a third figure partially enters the frame from the right.

THE UNITS

We used a unique combination of materials for each of the units we designed. For example, we used a custom bronze profile for the ground floor storefront facade.

This image showcases a multi-story brick building with arched windows and industrial-style black metal window frames, blending historical architecture with modern upgrades. The ground floor features large storefront or lobby windows, and a canopy projects above the main entrance. Decorative gray stone banding accents the red brick façade, contributing to a refined historic character often found in renovated urban warehouses or loft-style buildings. A white car is parked at the curb, adding scale and context to the streetscape.

On the first and second floors we used cladded windows. These featured a teak interior and had bronze-clad exteriors.

Bronze Decorative Elements and Custom Door Handles

We also created a number of custom-made bronze details and finishes to several of the units. It gives the windows and the entire façade a distinct look. Decorative elements were specially designed by the architects. All the fastenings of these elements were meticulously concealed inside the frame.

Door Handles
These unique pull handles were a combination of high-quality wood, with wooden and bronze inserts, and a concealed fastener.

Centrally focused entrance of a historic red-brick building adorned with horizontally laid stone banding, featuring a large modern glass doorway flanked by tall bronze-toned metal frames beneath a prominent overhanging concrete canopy, topped by a window box planter with dry ornamental grasses and shrubs, while a tall industrial-style window above is divided by vertical iron mullions and framed in dark metal with decorative roundels, all illuminated by warm interior lighting and dappled sunlight casting golden reflections across the façade, with two parked cars grounding the scene in a contemporary urban context.

Our production advantage lies in our efficient organisation process and the fact we only use best-in-class equipment—all of which makes our high quality products possible.

CONTACT US

If you have a project in mind and would like to learn more about our windows and doors, please contact us at 929-202-2558 or email us here and someone from our team would be happy to talk you through your options.

OPEN Architectural Windows and Doors: Proudly making your architectural plans a reality for over a decade.

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