Media Contact:
Heather West, 612-724-8760, heather@heatherwestpr.com
Brattleboro Retreat’s updated, expanded mental health
facilities feature Wausau Window and Wall Systems
Wausau, Wis. (April 2013) – Vermont’s
Brattleboro Retreat, a historic, regional specialty
psychiatric hospital and addictions treatment
center, recently completed an extensive facility
remodel that includes psychiatric-grade windows
from Wausau Window and Wall Systems.
Founded in 1834, Brattleboro Retreat’s treatment
center consists of 58 buildings and sites. The
facility treats children, adolescents and adults in
their recovery from mental illness, psychological
trauma and addiction. To better serve its patients,
the Retreat is undergoing broad expansion and renovations across its entire 1,000-acre campus. The
upgrades are part of nearly $12 million dollars in improvements slated to take place throughout the
facility during the next two years.
The remodel of the Children’s Inpatient Program located in the Retreat’s Osgood Building is among
the most recent projects and re-opened in January 2012. Architectural firm Lavallee Brensinger and
general contractor Engleberth Construction, Inc., glazing contractor Greenfield Glass worked closely
with Wausau Window and Wall Systems from the earliest stages of the project’s development.
Wausau’s staff conducted on-site visits to assess
the aging facility’s structural integrity, then
presented analysis and recommendations to
enhance the whole building envelope. Wausau’s
health care market manager, Lisa May, LEED®
Green Associate, explains, “There was great
concern that existing double-hungs weren’t safe
and urgently needed to be retrofitted. While
patient safety was the first priority, they also
very much wanted to preserve the facility’s
historic look.
Providing a home-like and safe, therapeutic environment to help patients heal, Wausau’s 4000i-DT
Series windows windows were manufactured with applied muntin grids to mimic double-hung units
and convey a residential-like aesthetic. Wausau also provided the panning and trim to highlight the
historic styling. “The facility manager fell in love when she saw the windows with the muntins,
panning and trim. It was exactly what she was looking for,” says May.
(more)
Greenfield Glass installed a total of 54 units on the first and third floors of the Osgood Building. For
each window, the field team would remove the existing unit, prepare the opening, set the panning and
trim system to cover any exposed surfaces, then install the new window unit securely in place.
Along with delivering a comforting, historic appearance, these high-performance, psychiatric-grade
windows contribute to a comfortable interior, meeting energy-efficiency and condensation-resistance
standards. To ensure patient safety, these windows are “drop tested” for interior human impacts up to
2,000 foot/pounds.
May elaborates, “If a patient impacts the window, energy must be transferred sequentially through
glazing infill, frames, hardware, anchorage and substrates. Two thousand foot - pounds of energy, as
imparted by the human impact drop test apparatus, simulates the shoulder impact of a 200 pound
person moving at 25 feet per second.”
The natural light and unrestricted views provided
by Wausau’s 4000i-DT series windows also fit the
“moral treatment” philosophy of the
Brattleboro Retreat, which has remained
unchanged since its founding nearly 180 years ago.
The first facility for the mentally ill in Vermont,
and one of the first 10 psychiatric hospitals in the
United States, Brattleboro was patterned on the
Quaker concept of moral treatment. Almost
unheard of in the 1830s, the Quakers’ approach to
caring for the mentally ill included treating
patients with dignity and respect in a caring,
family-like environment that incorporated meaningful work, cultural activities, healthy nutrition and
daily exercise.
“The Brattleboro Retreat’s nearly 200-year-old reputation for high-qualify clinical care has always
been accompanied by the comforting, uplifting environment of our campus and buildings,” said Gerri
Cote, vice president of operations. “These renovations are in keeping with our commitment
to preserve the historic beauty of the Retreat while also offering the very latest in 21st century
environment of care.”
To optimize daylight, while managing light and glare and minimizing maintenance, Wausau’s
psychiatric-grade windows also feature integral between-glass blinds. Insulated units with glass
from Viracon optimize thermal performance to control unwanted heat gain in summer and heat loss
in winter.
Further contributing to the Brattleboro Retreat’s energy-efficiency and green building goals, the
windows’ aluminum frames contain recycled content averaging 70% or greater. The framing and
applied muntins were painted by Linetec using a 70 percent Kynar® 500 polyvinylidene fluoride
resin-based coating. This finish meets the highest performance criteria of AAMA 2605. The
reliability and durability of this painted finish helps reduce maintenance, repair and replacement.
Other improvements to the Children’s Inpatient Program area include colorful walls, curving
architectural lines, built-in seating, a four-season porch, a centrally located nurses station, single
patient bedrooms, plus an activities and play area.
Osgood Building, Brattleboro Retreat, 75 Linden St, Brattleboro, VT 05301; www.brattlebororetreat.org/
* Architect: Lavallee Brensinger Architects, Manchester, N.H.; http://www.lbpa.com
* General contractor: Engleberth Construction, Inc.; Colchester, Vt; http://www.engelberth.com
* Glazing contractor: Greenfield Glass; Greenfield, Ma.; http://www.greenfieldglass.net
* Glazing systems – manufacturer: Wausau Window and Wall Systems, 4000i-DT Series Psychiatric;
Wausau, Wis.; http://www.wausauwindow.com
* Glazing systems - glazing: Viracon; Owatonna, Minn.; http://www.viracon.com
* Glazing systems – finisher: Linetec, Wausau, Wis.; http://www.linetec.com
Nationally recognized for its innovative expertise, Wausau Window and Wall Systems is an industry leader in
engineering window and curtainwall systems for commercial and institutional construction applications. For
more than 55 years, Wausau has worked closely with architects, building owners and contractors to realize
their vision for aesthetic beauty, sustainability and lasting value, while striving to maintain the highest level of
customer service, communication and overall satisfaction. Wausau is a part of Apogee Enterprises, Inc., a
publicly held, U.S. corporation.
Wausau and its staff are members of the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA), the
American Institute of Architects (AIA), the APPA – Leadership in Educational Facilities, the Construction
Specifications Institute (CSI), Glass Association of North America (GANA), the National Fenestration Ratings
Council (NFRC) and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
###