Built in 1874, on the corner of 2nd Ave and East 5th Street, 300 East 5th Street encapsulated the spirit of late 19th century New York. Red-brick and five stories tall, the building featured classic heavy stone windowsills and traditional fire escape. These features would become standard throughout the city. Having remained untouched for almost a century, a storefront renovation circa the 1960s or 1970s dramatically altered its look. The building bore little resemblance to its original design, which had been in the Italianate style. Inexpensive precast concrete siding and cheap windows had transformed what had once been a beautiful building into an eyesore. In 2019, Open AWD was commissioned to restore the facade. Working alongside the owner, architect, and general contractor, we set out to achieve their vision for what they felt the building could look like. Updating a Historic Façade. The scope of the project included replacing the current facade. We completely re-imagined a new storefront and cornice. In order to comply with New…

Built during the late 19th century, this house on Vanderbilt Avenue epitomizes the heart, soul, and style of Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill. The Queen-Anne-style carriage house is situated in a neighborhood once famed for its mansion rows and carriage houses. Designed originally to house coachmen and horses for an estate on Clinton Avenue, the building, having most recently been home to the Brooklyn Veterinary Hospital, has just undergone a careful restoration by The Brooklyn Home Company. At just under 24-feet-wide, this stunning, red brick property boasts its own gated driveway and private parking. Its stately and timeless appearance which was carefully reinvigorated during the renovation process. Restoring The Historic Façade Open AWD was commissioned to help restore the property’s façade in 2017. Working alongside the developer, we set out to help them achieve their vision for what 409-411 Vanderbilt Avenue could look like. Firstly, Open AWD was tasked with preserving the original arch by designing…

This building on West 24th Street, was a development which OPEN Architectural Windows and Doors was incredibly proud to be a part of. Located in the heart of Chelsea in Manhattan, The Fitzroy Hotel is one of the most unique and visually arresting buildings in its district. The façade is made up of stunning, green terra cotta tile and custom-made wooden and copper window units. Our role in the development of West 24th Street was to create the wooden window units. We did this using a special copper cladding. We also designed matching, copper spandrel panels, which complimented the window units. The combination of terra cotta tile and the copper cladding created a uniform look. This highlighted and emphasized the building’s art deco design. The natural patina which develops upon copper’s surface also contributed to the architect’s vision for a dynamic, naturally-aging, or rusting look, for the façade. In collaboration with the architect, we…

Nestled amongst the cobblestone streets of Northern Tribeca, Washington Street is now home to a new, luxury mid-rise residential development. Open Architectural Windows & Doors designed and installed hundreds of beautiful cladded windows and doors for each of the forty-nine units within the building. The combination of oversized windows and slim profiles offer unbroken views of the city. Each of the cladded windows and doors is fitted with innovative, multi-point locking hardware as designed by MACO, leading European windows and doors specialists. In accordance with NYC building requirements, each window unit was fitted with its own certified limiter. Each insulated glass unit (IGU) is comprised of a double pane of laminated glass and a sleek, black spacer bar. Working alongside the architect, we settled on soundproof glass with an Outdoor/Indoor Transmission Class (OITC) rating of 34. We selected an OITC rating of 34 to ensure that all of Manhattan’s noise pollution would be…

AD Design Show 2019 happened in New York between the 21-24 March Now in its 18th year, the Architectural Digest Design Show drew approximately 40,000 design aficionados to interact with incredible design displays from more than 400 brands. OpenAWD was at the event showcasing a few samples of new trendy, minimalism-inspired Window and Door Series in Wood, Wood/Aluminum clad and Steel, as well as Frameless Railings and the latest in Tilt and Turn windows and doors. You can find our video here. This event provided us successful and exciting experience. We can only wait for next year’s.