Marvin is known for its custom work, which came in very handy on an extremely old house.

Constructed in 1769, this colonial home in Severna Park, MD was originally a comfortable farm house, but after 200 years, most of the original windows had rotted, warped and loosened. Like most windows of the colonial period, the windows lacked weather stripping and were made with standard float glass, wavy with imperfections.

The plans called for replacement of all the windows with new windows that replicated the original style and delivered maximum energy efficiency.

Marvin was the only manufacturer that could meet all the architect’s requirements and also provide Authentic Divided Lites and jamb liners to fit the restoration and maintain the colonial character of the home.  The project called for 30 custom-size wood windows, including Double Hung and Casemaster windows, and a Bow and a Bay window. Each window was produced to precise specifications to ensure a great fit and maximum energy efficiency.

This beauty of a home still looks great after two centuries. With its new improvements, it continues to be livable and cofortable for many years to come.

The high-end Rock Island Lofts in downtown Minneapolis combine a hot new urban neighborhood with luxury and amazing views of the Mississippi River. And Marvin was the window brand chosen to best accentuate that beautiful view.

Although the original spec called for all-aluminum windows, the developer chose Marvin Windows and Doors with a wood interior and clad exterior to get a more upscale style along with a low-maintenance exterior.

The abundant windows had to be beautiful and strong—and because the brick openings and steel substructure were already in place, they had to fit perfectly.

Marvin crafted units to precisely fit the brick openings and steel sub-structure that was already in place.

Oversized window assemblies (12′ 8″ x 11′ 4″) on the seventh floor met the wind loading requirements and were installed around a steel sub-structure from the building’s interior. The mulls were sealed from the exterior and covered using Marvin Windows’ standard extruded-aluminum mull covers.

Marvin products used included Round Tops, Clad Ultimate Inswing French Doors, Simulated Divided Lites and Ebony Cladding.

This massive and gracious Victorian in St. Paul, Minn. has come a long ways–well, a few blocks!

The Armstrong-Quinlan House, built in 1886, incorporated a unique blend of architectural styles that eventually led to its being placed on The National Register of Historic Places. In the fall of 2005, the once-elegant but now decrepit building made a short but dramatic relocation to a new site a few blocks away. Power lines, mailboxes, traffic lights, road signs and even parking meters were temporarily removed to provide the 900-ton brick house enough room to make the move, which took a week to complete.

To restore the building to its original beauty would require more than a facelift – it demanded a complete overhaul. The new owners were required to meet historical standards as the house was gutted and remodeled into four elegant new condominiums — two side-by-side, two-story units, a third-floor penthouse, and a lower-level garden unit. The house required custom-fitted, unique windows that had to match the look of the historical landmark while meeting modern expectations of functionality and energy-efficiency.

More than 65 new Marvin windows were designed and custom-built to match historical standards, each measured and crafted for a particular location to provide beautiful views from the restored house. A wide variety of windows was needed — from the grand scale of double hung windows for the living room and a triple set of windows crowned with round tops in the master bedroom, to tall windows from the kitchen and dining areas that open onto attractive views of the brickwork and wrought-iron railings of the elegant rear courtyard.

The final result in the Armstrong-Quinlan house is nothing less than stunning — residents are offered clear views of the city of St. Paul and riverboats along the Mississippi. Natural light fills every room and the windows will withstand Minnesota’s extreme weather conditions without losing either functionality or beauty.

In the woods of beautiful Flathead Lake, Montana, there sits a house that looks as if it might take flight off the lakeshore.  Appropriately enough, it is known as the Soaring Osprey House.

Architect Richard Wyman Smith, AIA, drew on his Ojibwe heritage to design his client’s house like an osprey in flight. Marvin was chosen to provide the windows for the house, based on our design flexibility and customization.

The design called for 87 custom windows and doors, including 18 custom windows designed and formed in the shape of a giant soaring osprey — definitely not a typical project. Marvin was the only window manufacturer that could produce windows with the look and performance required by the architect.

This particularly challenging project required each window to have a special radii, and for all the units to be precisely aligned to create the desired look. Marvin’s architectural department worked closely with the architect and actually developed the radii specs for the project.

The house’s design soars to the highest heights to complement the beauty of Flathead Lake.

In honor of the winter storm that has hit us here in Marvin country, let’s take a look at a beautiful hotel in another snowy place.

The Old Faithful Snow Lodge, at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, houses millions of visitors every year in its 90,000-square-foot space. At 7,300 feet above sea level, the Snow Lodge offers amazing views and lots of options for exploring and skiing. Without television and internet access, the Old Faithful Snow Lodge is an oasis of relaxation.

But that same remoteness can make renovating difficult. Marvin supplied the windows for the lodge and worked on a tight schedule to ensure that the delivery was coordinated with the Snow Lodge’s accessibility.

To make sure that the windows provided adequate ventilation (air conditioning is not available), tilt turns and hoppers were used. The tilt turn is a dual-functioning window: it opens at the side like a door or tilts in at the top. Hopper windows are a great companion for the tilt turn and open at the top. Additionally, awnings were used. The Old Faithful Snow Lodge made use of authentic and simulated divided lites for a traditional look and Low E II glass for modern energy efficiency.

From cold Warroad to snowy Yellowstone, Marvin windows look beautiful and perform in winter weather!

Top photo courtesy of Yellowstone National Park Lodges

In most parts of the country, winter’s chill is in the air. Luckily, there are places to go and enjoy summer’s beautiful flowers and hot air–a conservatory. These structures are beautiful and meticulously maintained to give the optimum environment for their botanical residents.

One beautiful conservatory, Druid Hill in Baltimore, recently underwent a renovation that took it back to its original Victorian elegance. Marvin provided the windows for Druid Hill’s Palm House. Although basic parameters had been laid out for window needs, Druid Hill expected their window manufacturer to “fill in the gaps” and come up with design elements that fit in with the overall design aesthetic.

Marvin’s custom capabilities through Signature Products and Services really helped when designing windows for the Palm House. Custom clad colors, flashing and panning were needed and performance had to be top-notch. Due to the conditions of the conservatory, the windows had to to be absolutely water-tight and be able to withstand temperature fluctuations due to seasonal exhibits. In the end, Marvin clad casement, awnings, polygons and mill plates were used on the Palm House.

Since its renovation, the Druid Hill conservatory has gone from Baltimore’s least-visited attraction to winning the Baltimore Heritage Preservation Award. Currently re-named as the Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory, this Baltimore attraction is now restored to its original glory.

If you are lucky enough to be able to hang up your “Gone Fishing” sign and head out to the lake, hopefully you are also lucky enough to have a beautiful retreat to go to when the day is over.

For architect Andrea Swan of Swan + Simmons in Minneapolis, a modern fishing camp should use its site to the best of its ability. The Swan Fish Camp, located in Isle, Minn., near Lake Mille Lacs, looks deceptively simple. But its clean lines and restrained aesthetic are the result of careful design planning by Swan. The house is situated on the northern edge of the property to capture the view corridor through a grove of existing birch trees, while allowing optimal southern light exposure to interior and exterior spaces. Marvin products, including Ultimate Casements, Clad Venting Picture Window, Direct-glaze Round Tops, sliding doors and in-swing doors, help to maximize the light exposure.

The Swan Fish Camp is a modern, efficient dwelling for the age-old Minnesota pastime of going up north, heading out on the boat and waiting for the fish to bite.

This beautiful project is the third in our series of winning projects from the myMarvin Architect’s Challenge.

If you’ve ever been to Europe and visited any of the grand cathedrals there, it is hard not to feel awed by the beautiful structures people built so long ago. People continue to build houses of worship nowadays, but it isn’t often you see the large old-style churches being constructed.

In LaCrosse, Wisc., however, it is estimated that, for the first time in 50 years, a major Catholic church has been built in the classical style. The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe serves not only as a church, but as a place for a pilgrimage.

Visitors to the church may well think they are in a European cathedral, but this modern church fools the eye. Every element of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, from the nave to the fabulously detailed dome, was designed to look as if the church has always been there.

Marvin windows help flood the church with natural light. Light in The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe is introduced through windows in the side aisles, clerestory windows in the nave, transepts, and sanctuary, and through the dome with its clear windows and oculus. There are twelve different custom window types at The Shrine in all shapes and sizes, each requiring their own details. Marvin’s custom capabilities helped the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe achieve the exact look desired.

The Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe’s exterior was designed by Michael W. Swinghamer of River Architects in LaCrosse and the church’s interior was designed by Duncan Stroik of Duncan G. Stroik Architect in South Bend, Ind.

Now that Labor Day has passed, autumn is in the air.  To honor this back-to-school time, let’s take a look at an education project that Marvin worked on.

When Dartmouth College, established in1769 in Hanover, N.H., set out to build two new dorms to accommodate its growing student population, it was important for the new dorms to match the college’s old New England look. But Dartmouth is also concerned with environmental sustainability, so the new buildings had to meet LEED certification.

The Dartmouth College Office of Planning, Design and Construction carefully chose vendors who could meet this high standard. Marvin Windows and Doors supplied the windows for the two new dorms (named McLane and Fahey Residence Halls).

To fit in with other buildings on campus, Ultimate Double Hung, transom and stationary awning windows were used for McLane and Fahey Residence Halls. They provided an old-fashioned look with modern conveniences. Stone white cladding and brick mould casing with 70 percent Kynar 500 finish helps ensure that the windows will continue to look great for years to come.

Overall, Dartmouth’s goals were a 48 percent reduction in total energy use and a 57 percent reduction in total energy costs. They achieved LEED Gold status. McLane and Fahey Residence Halls now blend in with Dartmouth’s beautiful campus, providing sustainable housing for the students that occupy them.

Greenhaven. The name of this home is meant not only to evoke peaceful green glades, but also reminds people of its green credentials. Greenhaven is located in Marietta, Ga., in the Chelsea Landing neighborhood. Chelsea Landing is the first green neighborhood in East Cob County.

The design of Greenhaven homes was conceived by Pace Homebuilders. The “Green Team” they brought together designed Greenhaven as a home that is livable and green. Greenhaven is certified by the US Green Building Council’s LEED for Homes program. Its three floors are filled with luxurious extras like a home theatre and private office.

To help Greenhaven get the high-end look that today’s eco-conscious homeowner desires, Pace Homebuilders used a Marvin Entry Door and windows by Integrity® from Marvin Windows and Doors.

Marvin Entry Doors are handcrafted from the finest wood and are available in completely customized options for curb appeal. The classically rustic look of the door in Greenhaven sets the entry for the luxurious living within.

Integrity is one of Marvin’s sister brands. Made of a pultruded fiberglass called Ultrex, Integrity windows are durable and high-performing. Not only is Ultrex eight times stronger than vinyl and as strong as steel, but it is made of silica sand, a virtually unlimited natural resource. It’s even green in its manufacturing process, made in the only pultrusion facility in compliance with the 1990 Clean Air Act.

Anyone lucky enough to buy a Greenhaven home will get to live in a house that truly is green and truly beautiful.

Photo courtesy of GreenhaveHome.com