Glass replacement while preserving monumental character

In the 208 apartments of the Lijnbaanflats on the Jan Evertsenplaats in Rotterdam, there are more than a thousand wooden window frames and some three hundred housing separation panels. Each of these windows has been replaced by Glas Van Veen.

"The wooden window frames are on the gallery and balcony sides of the apartments," explains project manager Robert Eikelboom of Glas Van Veen. "Because of the monumental status of the flats, the existing window frames had to be retained. We replaced the single-glazed windows for modern HR++ insulating glass. However, the new panes did not fit into the old window frames. To solve this, we sawed and milled out the rebates of all the window frames."

Putty look with glass lath

"The monumental character was also a consideration in the glass replacement," continues Eikelboom. "To preserve the original appearance, it had to look as if the new glass had been applied with putty. Working with a glazing batten supplier, we created that putty look with a beveled wooden glazing batten."

Special glass carts

At the end of 2018, Glas Van Veen replaced the first windows. In accordance with the pre-arranged lean planning, the glaziers needed one day per home to dismantle the old windows and install the new ones. Eikelboom: "To keep the train of work moving, everything had to be well coordinated logistically. Not just to get the right things to the building site at the right time, but also to get them into the homes safely and in a way that was responsible for health and safety. With special glass carts and racks, we got the windows into the construction elevator and were able to deliver them via scaffolding. We took back the old windows in the same way."