Heritage Windows: Conservation, Comfort, and Carbon

This presentation will highlight key technical insights from a recent steel window conservation project at the 1930s Burwash Hall building on the Victoria University campus in Toronto. Presenters will take attendees through the case study project from the early design stage, describing the multiple different window conservation options that were considered, the pros and cons of each, and the approach ultimately selected for implementation. This session will include a brief primer on heritage steel windows and a comparison to the modern thermally broken, drained window systems that we are more familiar with today. Presenters will show how a simplified heat loss calculation was used to help the project team quickly understand the impact of different possible thermal performance improvements. The case study will continue through the multiple phases of project implementation, using the presenters’ site photos and excerpts from the window shop drawings to illustrate the key lessons learned.

Learning Objectives
At the end of this session, the attendee will be able to:

• Compare steel heritage windows to modern replica windows in terms of the primary building envelope control functions, including air, water, and thermal control.
• Recognize and describe different approaches to steel window conservation common in heritage building projects
• Explain the pros and cons of the three approaches to steel window conservation “shortlisted” as part this case study project.
• Summarize how to perform simplified heat loss calculations to evaluate the impact of different window conservation approaches on overall envelope performance.

Presenter/Author

Amy Montgomery, MASc, PEng, CPHC

Associate, Building Science Engineer
RDH

Amy Montgomery is an associate and building science engineer on the RDH Toronto team. She brings her experience in building science and building energy analysis from projects across North America. Her current focus is on supporting the design and construction of high-performance new buildings and the rehabilitation of existing buildings. She has a particular interest in the preservation of historic and heritage buildings.

Rachel McMullan, BASc, EIT

Building Science Consultant
RDH

Rachel McMullan is a building science consultant based in RDH’s Toronto office. She has a background in civil engineering and has been in the building science field for four years, with a focus on a wide range of new and existing building projects.

Length: 00:48:25

Last Updated: April 29, 2025