Kings Hill, the home of Brown & Crouppen’s law office headquarters, opened last year in the heart of The Hill, a neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri. Winco Window Company played a special role in this structure’s rebirth by helping brighten the redesigned interior.
Renovation details
What was previously a deteriorating industrial warehouse is now reimagined and revitalized into modern, sunlit office and event space. The 50,000 square foot former American Stove Company factory and warehouse, better known as the Magic Chef Stove Company, is an example of historic renovation without the traditional formality.
The restoration work took the structure down to its core, preserving the original steel trusses and rebuilding the interior within the brick shell. Among the improvements added were advanced mechanical systems, modern tongue and groove decking, and energy efficient windows from Winco.
Products used
Winco supplied 258 of its 1150S series fixed and casement windows, which are designed to have multiple muntin grids inside the window’s vertical plane. For the Kings Hill elevation, the main-level windows look as if they have four sets of windows—each with eight grids—stacked on top of one another to fill the tall vertical opening. The upper level echoes the look in half the size.
“The original architect had a specific intent for the design of the windows, and we wanted to make sure that we brought that original design concept back to the building,” says Hany Abounader, owner and founder of Third Man Development. His company specializes in the redevelopment of older buildings and oversaw the transformation of the once-dilapidated Magic Chef 1900-era building into the showcase that it is today.
Many of the windows at Kings Hill had to be precisely fitted into the original triple-brick pediments. With the structure dating back to 1910, this required attention to detail to ensure proper alignment of all newly installed windows despite its slightly different measurements. Many of the window openings were stripped to the bricks. When possible, some of the original windows were restored.
“This was a very rewarding project from a design standpoint. Once we got into production, our manufacturing team produced these windows quickly, installation was smooth, and they look amazing,” says Joe Dietz, Winco sales representative.
All 1150S series windows have a black Kynar paint finish. Clear Solarban glass with a black spacer and muntins blends with the framing and provides a clean look between the red brick exterior and the alignment of the windows. The windows provide a historic replication of the original windows but with more expansive views, thermal dynamics and energy efficiency.
“The windows are so key to the project because they do encompass, on a lot of these large historic buildings, a very, very large portion of the exterior surface,” says Abounader.
The windows take up much of the exterior surface with the main-level windows nearly double in height compared to the upper-level windows. Inside, many of the structure’s original architectural features were preserved, including the restoration of the steel roof trusses that now support loft-style offices.
The main level includes a wide reception area looking out onto a 3,000 square foot courtyard. The décor is bright and eclectic, using different textured flooring, modular furniture groupings, cubicles, and artwork to separate working areas. The oversized windows set equally distance apart add to the overall openness of the space.
Project reflection
Looking back on how Winco was selected for the project, Abounader says that they were originally looking at window contractors outside of St. Louis. Once he realized Winco Window Company was in University City, Abounader got in touch with Woody Miller, Winco’s Vice President of Operations, and learned that Winco specializes in replicating historic and architectural windows. He also met with Kurtis Suellentrop, Winco’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, for a tour of the facilities.
“After I toured the plant and saw some of the cool windows they were making and the quality of what they were executing,” says Abounader, “it just kind of seemed to be a no-brainer to me.”
Adding to the finished project, Abounader says, that it's "pretty cool that they matched what was originally the intent of the building and the original architecture of the building. People call me all the time and say, 'That building looks spectacular.'"
Considering the size and scope of the restored building, half of what people see is the brick façade and the other half is the multitude of windows. With so much natural light coming into the building, the windows are truly the crown jewel of the final product, say Winco officials.
