Multi-Story Arched Picture Window Replacement for a Traditional Office Building

When Worth & Company, Inc. began planning updates to several office window openings at its Pipersville facility, maintaining the building’s established architectural character was a primary consideration. The existing structure featured tall, vertical glazing patterns and traditional curved window details that contributed significantly to the appearance of the building’s exterior and entry sequence. 

Rather than replacing the existing assemblies with a standard commercial storefront system, the project team selected Pella® Reserve™ — Traditional picture windows to better align with the scale, proportions and detailing already present throughout the architecture. 

The completed replacement balances traditional aesthetics with modern commercial-grade glass performance, creating a more refined appearance while improving the overall glazing system.

The most prominent portion of the project involved a multi-story window wall positioned near the main office entry. The replacement assembly utilized factory-mulled picture windows configured into a large vertical system with custom partial arch-head units integrated at the top of the assembly. 

The installation included multiple picture windows with custom partial arch-head units. Additional window groupings throughout the office used smaller rectangular and arch-top picture windows. 

Using picture windows instead of operable units allowed the design team to maximize visible glass area while maintaining narrow, consistent sightlines across the full assembly. The result is a cleaner façade composition that emphasizes verticality and natural light without disrupting the building’s traditional architectural language.

Material and finish selections played a major role in achieving the final appearance of the project. The replacement windows featured black EnduraClad® aluminum-clad exteriors paired with black-stained pine interiors. 

Against the lighter stucco exterior, the black window frames create visual contrast and definition while reinforcing the symmetry of the original design. Inside the office, the stained pine interiors introduce a warmer finish than a typical all-aluminum commercial glazing system while still maintaining a clean, professional appearance. 

The project also omitted grilles entirely, allowing the geometry and scale of the assemblies to become the dominant architectural feature.

Because of the scale and height of the window wall, structural performance and assembly coordination were important considerations throughout the replacement process. 

The project utilized factory mullions, reinforcing components, frame expander kits and mullion covers to support the oversized mulled configurations while maintaining consistent sightlines throughout the assembly. 

The windows also incorporated Advanced Low-E insulating glass with argon gas fills. This glazing configuration helps manage solar heat gain while still allowing substantial daylight into the office interior. 

Performance data for the assemblies included a U-Factor of 0.28, SHGC of 0.32 and Performance Grade (PG) 90 ratings. For commercial projects with large fixed-glass configurations, these ratings help ensure the assemblies can withstand structural loads and long-term environmental exposure while supporting energy performance goals.

For this office replacement project, the goal was not to dramatically change the building’s appearance. Instead, the focus remained on preserving the traditional architectural character already established on the property while upgrading the glazing system with modern materials, custom sizing flexibility and commercial-grade performance. 

Pella® Reserve™ — Traditional picture windows provided the ability to incorporate oversized mulled assemblies, custom arch-top configurations, aluminum-clad durability and historically inspired proportions within a single cohesive system. 

The completed installation now delivers improved daylighting, cleaner sightlines and a more intentional exterior appearance while remaining consistent with the original architecture of the building.