Historic Steel Windows with Gordon Bock

Join us for a virtual lecture on Historic Steel Windows with Gordon Bock! 

After arriving from England in the 1890s, steel frame windows burst upon American architecture -- first in commercial buildings, then in houses -- as the new, dominant window type through the first half of the 20th century. This lecture will look at the origins of steel windows and its myriad (sometimes confusing) manufacturers and designs as a way to appreciate this character-defining feature and understand what's possible in sourcing compatible units for additions or repairs. We will also review common restoration/repair issues -- such as those experienced at Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater -- and touch on possible strategies for replacements and thermal upgrades.

Gordon Bock is a writer, editor, architectural historian, and technical consultant specializing in historic building construction, residential architecture, and early modern design of the Arts & Crafts movement. Gordon is a contributing editor at Traditional Building magazine, an instructor at the National Preservation Institute, and a reservist historic preservation specialist at FEMA. He is the editor of the standard reference Residential Sheet Metal Guidelines (SMACNA) and co-author of The Vintage House: A Guide to Successful Renovations and Additions, W.W. Norton publisher (www.thevintagehousebook.com).