Collaboration Shaped A Custom Solution
A $42 million renovation that began in April 2010 set out to restore the five-story, approximately 250,000-square-foot school nearly to its original design. The work brought a century-old Toledo landmark into a new era while preserving the architecture that defined it.
Scott High School's distinctive architecture called for more than standard replacement windows. Capitol Aluminum & Glass partnered with SSOE Group to develop custom S-curve signature windows for the upper clerestory openings, coordinating design and fabrication details to fit the building and preserve the historic facade's character and visual rhythm.
Early Design Collaboration
Involving Capitol Aluminum & Glass during early design allows the project team to evaluate fenestration options while the design is still flexible. Early review of window, entrance, storefront, and curtain wall systems can identify potential cost-saving alternatives and help balance performance, appearance, and project requirements before details are finalized.
Performance Was Designed Into The Details
The building had approximately 950 windows, including dual-radius round-top and S-shaped openings. Many classroom openings were more than 10 feet high and more than 3 feet wide. Across the project, the team coordinated hopper, awning, and fixed windows, entrances, storefront framing, and curtain walls. These varied openings called for solutions tailored to the building.
The project criteria included thermally broken aluminum framing and a maximum U-factor of 0.45. Capitol 325 ES aluminum windows on the first three floors incorporated 1-inch clear Low-E insulated glass, between-the-glass miniblinds with hinged access panels, and sliding wicket screens. Internal muntins and externally applied muntins recreated historic patterns, while the blinds helped control classroom glare and the replacement windows restored daylight and ventilation to spaces that had been boarded up for years.
A Complete Fenestration Package
Capitol served as the window manufacturer and glazing contractor, coordinating custom fabrication and installation across the varied openings. A small-scale mockup gave the team a way to review an energy-efficient glass option before production. Historic photographs helped SSOE Group recreate original muntin and grid patterns where earlier windows had been removed.
The package extended beyond windows. Capitol 500 WS aluminum entrance doors featured flush pulls and 10-inch mid-rails, with accompanying 245T storefront framing that incorporated arched transoms and horizontally divided lites. Capitol 2500 curtain wall framing served the gymnasium at the rear of the building. Finishes included 3-coat Kynar Polar White, dark bronze anodized, and clear anodized.
Capitol also submitted recycled-content and regional-material documentation to support the project's LEED goals, connecting the custom aluminum and glazing package with the renovation's broader sustainability objectives. Jesup W. Scott High School in Toledo, Ohio, achieved LEED Silver certification for its historic renovation project.
Together, the custom shapes, carefully selected glazing, and restored window patterns supported the renovation’s energy and daylighting goals while respecting Scott High School’s historic character.
