American Architectural Manufacturers Association

Case Study: Vinyl Windows Contribute to LEED Certification of Historic District

Sponsored by


Lori LePera, Deceuninck N. A.

A historic district transforms into a green legacy of vinyl window systems.

The Challenge
Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood is believed to be the largest, most intact urban historic district in the United States. However, many of the once beautiful historic homes that line the streets of this neighborhood have fallen into disrepair. Families in this working class neighborhood often find that repairs and energy-efficient updates are too costly. Noticing the need to help revitalize these once beautiful homes and create safe, sustainable housing for families in need, the Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity decided to transform two vacant and historic houses into affordable, energy-efficient homes for low-income families. To complete this project, Habitat for Humanity sought funding, donations and hard-working volunteers. 

The Solution
Tri-State Wholesale Building Supplies, Inc. partnered with Deceuninck N. A. to take part in the project, which was officially named, “The G2OTR Project (Greening and Growing Over-the-Rhine): LEEDing the Way in Historic Renovation and New Construction.” The companies demonstrated their commitment to sustainability and their role as responsible manufacturers by supplying energy-efficient vinyl window systems that had been specified for the project so that it could achieve LEED^® certification. Beyond producing the energy-efficient window systems, representatives from both companies conducted a window walk on June 23, from the manufacturing facility in Cincinnati to the site of the homes. All of the windows were hand delivered, thereby replacing traditional shipping and reducing the project’s overall carbon footprint. 

By incorporating innovative green building features and techniques, each home received LEED certification. The sustainable renovations received recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC™), which named the effort its Legacy Project for the 2011 “Greening the Heartland” Conference, held June 22-24 in Cincinnati. The conference attracted more than 1,000 building owners, designers, builders, manufacturers and public employees from across the Midwest.

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