March 5, 2018 –Universal Window and Door, a leading manufacturer of custom window solutions for commercial construction projects, provided over 350 custom historic replica windows for the recently completed renovation of the Sony Music Entertainment building in Nashville, TN for owner Vanderbilt University.
The 80,000 square foot Renaissance Revival-style building was constructed in 1916 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. Once home to the Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged, the building was converted into office space in 1998 for BMG Music Publishing (acquired by Sony in 2008). Located across the street from the Vanderbilt campus, the building will be used for academic and administrative functions by the university.
Window City, the nationwide commercial window replacement company headquartered in Clifton, NJ, contracted Universal Window and Door to custom manufacture the historically accurate replacement windows. The challenge for Universal was to provide a number of windows that were arched on the exterior of the building but rectangular on the interior, which Universal accomplished by customizing its popular Series 400 Fixed Series. For ease of maintenance, Vanderbilt opted for fixed windows with no exterior grids instead of a more accurate hung window with external grids.
“Window City chose Universal Window & Door because they are an established custom manufacturer who can design and assemble anything for historical applications,” said Michael Mastroberti, president of Window City. “Their products exemplify great detail and craftsmanship, putting them at the forefront of skilled artisans. The knowledge and expertise they exhibit differentiates them from their competitors.”
Universal also supplied attached panning for the windows, which saves on labor while providing the quality assurance that comes from manufacturing in the controlled environment of a factory setting. “We’re adept at modifying existing design to provide custom solutions to satisfy historic concerns and to be competitive with pricing,” said Tony Muraco, CEO of Universal Window and Door. “We are very proud to be part of a project that re-invigorated this iconic building, and to provide Vanderbilt University with academic and office space.”