By Michael Hargrave:
While we've been covering a number of West Side advancements as of late, including a number of developments on Massachusetts Avenue, there is one important project that deserves special attention. 456 Massachusetts Avenue, like many of the other People United for Sustainable Houses (PUSH) rehabs, is a great looking restoration project. But it's more than that. PUSH is currently occupying the storefront and is using the space as the home for its PUSH Green operation.
PUSH Green works to help people interested in making their homes more energy efficient find a way to do so. While they are a subsidiary of PUSH, they are also part of a state wide effort through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to increase home efficiency in order to help reduce energy costs.
Up until now we have been accustomed to PUSH restoring houses and storefronts for the community. In this particular case we see the group occupying its own building while still serving the neighborhood in a fashion that helps people in need to be environmentally conscious while saving money on their utility bills at the same time.
For more info on PUSH Green, visit their website at www.pushgreenwny.org.
kind of looks like they went for vinyl replacement windows. please correct me if i am mistaken. there is nothing green about vinyl windows.
Keep in mind the difference in price might be $20k for Vinyl and $50k for wood (random guesstimation) so you have to balance with the efficiency the money could be used elsewhere like a more efficient heating system or hot water tank.
Wood looks 1000x better, I agree but Vinyl has it's place.
You're splitting hairs. These vinyl replacements are far more energy efficient than whatever wood windows they likely replaced. Sometimes it makes more sense to save money on something like windows and put it towards higher quality / more efficient infrastructure. It's like the missing cornices that everyone on here comments about. While it's nice to have or save, it's better that the building has been renovated and occupied. Those luxaries are just that, and in many cases would make or break whether a project like this is feasible or not.
I myself encountered this at my house in the West Village. It came with all the vinyl replacement windows for the second floor but they were not installed. For me to save the original windows upstairs would have been very cost prohibitive and pointless. Not to mention they were nothing special, just double hung wood windows, no arches or mullions etc. It made sense to replace those windows (since I already had them) and spend the effort on fixing up the first floor windows that are more visible and oversized. I made wood framed storm windows which helps tremendously in the cold months and look appropriate. So I don't always criticize others for doing the same as I know first hand what projects like this take and sometimes you have to cut corners to make it work, otherwise you'll have a nice looking exterior but no money to finish the interior.
Do you think they would have used vinyl 100 years ago if they could have?
I have no idea but if costs were an issue back then I imagine they would do whatever was economic at the time. Perhaps that's why some old homes have windows that are arched, curved, leaded, stained, etc. and others are simple average-sized double hung, single pane windows with no frills. The rest of the exterior on this particular building looks like someone really took their time with it and used higher-end materials. For that reason alone I think it's ok to forgive their use of vinyl vs wood.
I think it better to say, "What would Jesus do?"
Jesus would be a nomad relying on random people's hospitality to sleep and eat. ; )
You have an odd stereotype of Jesus. Its true Jesus did not value money but he was not a poor man and he did not wear poor rags either. Jesus did have the very wealthy and powerful as well as the very poor.
Jesus was intelligent and disciplined and hard working, a passifist, a builder, a teacher
Jesus was not the equivalent of a 1960s drugged out, unemployed free loving hippie, nor a cynical 1950s beatnik, nor dis-associated/dis-empowered reject from society begging for quarters. Though no doubt he would not have rejected them but he would not have followed them.
As far as Vinyl Windows....I say...atleast get them in a neutral or dark exterior color so they look like their painted. The all white vinyl or aluminum...it just looks like a replacement window...and a good property owner wants people to see the while house...not just the windows.
Did I say he was drugged out? Did I say he was a hippie? Nor did I say he never associated with the wealthy. He associated with anyone who would follow him. I do apologize if I came off as sarcastic/ demeaning. Totally not my intent.
Holy shit! From vinyl windows right to Jesus! Way to hijack this thread! Lol!
the manger scene is rarely depicted from a side angle, my guess is that it had vinyl siding on it and vinyl was frowned upon even back then.
True, but was it built to curb and mixed use? :)
a manger to feed livestock + maternity ward = mixed use. (?)
I think the bigger thing is that reused a whole house. The greenest building the one that's already built. Historic windows can be made pretty energy efficient with some simple fixes, but I have no idea what state this house was in before it was restored.
Absolutely true, there is nothing green about vinyl windows.
Wood windows have an infinitely long life, as long as they are maintained. Even decayed ones can be cleaned up to look like new and can be retrofitted with modern double glass for about the cost of a new vinyl window.
Vinyl windows last about 15 years and then have to be replaced completely - no servicing possible. There is no excuse for replacing an existing wood window. When you take life cycle costs into account, wood windows are much less expensive.
Vinyl windows are the miniature version of a suburban McMansion. Wasteful and energy inefficient, with planned obsolecense built in, to keep the window factories producing new ones using oil and other fossil fuels.