Ida B Wells High School

Project Details

An Elegant Turn-of-the-Century for San Francisco Grammar School

An elegant turn-of-the-century San Francisco grammar school, named after journalist & educator, Ida B. Wells, has a new lease on life. Years of neglect had begun to add up. Windows were nailed shut, the facade was crumbling, plumbing and electrical systems were failing, and the district needed to improve the building’s seismic safety and accessibility. To preserve the legacy of the historic building, a major renovation began in 2011, led by San Francisco’s esteemed architects, Lemanski & Rockwell Architects, Inc.

Winco Window was called upon to revive the past with modern technology:

1. Preserve the original sight lines.

By studying original photographs, Winco worked with the architects to maximize the glass area, minimize the

framing, and remain true to the historic look of the building.

2. Create a safe and low maintenance window.

Winco fabricated an ingenious dual glazed system that allows for easy replacement of the laminated glass lites

in the event the windows break from a wayward baseball or interior accident. Because the lites are independent,

there is no need to replace an expensive insulated glass unit.

3. Maintain the historic character of the building.

Winco fabricated soaring 16-foot windows (1150 Series) to preserve the architectural style of the original

building. They designed special structural mullions that were able to carry the loads and meet San Francisco’s

demanding earthquake standards.

And because Winco does its own anodizing, the windows were finished in a historic dark bronze finish, rather

than a standard black - just in time for the first day of school. Last fall, Ida B. Wells students returned to a stateof-

the art school made new by imagining the past.