The Full-Scope Approach to Window Replacement
What Full-Scope Forensic Assessment Reveals
In older or actively used buildings, a simple window replacement often evolves into something more complex—requiring investigation, hazardous material abatement, detailed phasing, and coordination with surrounding systems.
At GHP, window replacement projects are managed through a design-build delivery system that brings together architects, forensic specialists, construction managers, and environmental experts into a single, coordinated team. Unlike traditional models that divide a project among designers and multiple contractors, design-build is more cooperative. It allows the team to respond quickly and effectively to what’s uncovered during construction. Achieving that level of coordination is challenging when design and execution are split across outside consultants and separate contractors.
When Construction and Design Are Part of the Same Conversation
A common breakdown in window replacement projects happens at the handoff between design and construction. In traditional delivery models, scope clarity can slip, especially when surprises emerge during demolition.
GHP takes a different approach; design and construction teams collaborate from the outset, sharing access to findings, constraints, and field feedback in real-time. If conditions shift, the response is immediate—because it’s handled within the same team.
That continuity improves schedule certainty, but more importantly, it protects design intent when real-world setbacks deviate from the plan. Decisions don’t have to wait on outside approvals or back-and-forth RFIs. They get made in the field, by the people who already know the building.
The Unknowns in Older Construction
Older buildings can especially benefit from the design-build delivery system. Compared to new construction, these properties present unique design constraints and historic preservation concerns. Materials may no longer match drawings, or there may be hazardous building materials.
Historic properties often contain hazardous materials like asbestos or lead. If you use a traditional project management approach, discovering these hazards can delay new window installation and even temporarily cause complications for those occupying the building. In a typical setup, environmental hazards require a pause: teams must notify consultants, procure abatement contracts, and await clearance. That delay not only extends the project but also increases general conditions, idle time, and risks of schedule collapse.
By contrast, GHP builds licensed abatement and environmental response into the project delivery model. When suspect materials are identified, they’re routed directly to the right team—whether that’s infection control, demo, or abatement—without disruption. Incorporating environmental experts into the team can:
Reduce risk and improve speed
Avoid shutdowns for late-stage discovery of asbestos or lead
Ensure compliance in planning and execution
Scale infection control from earliest site visits
In one recent project, the team discovered asbestos behind a window frame on the first day of demo. Because the hazardous material team was already on-site as part of the integrated project structure, abatement began immediately. No time was lost. The scope was adjusted. Bid schedules were met. That kind of response eliminates delays, removes ambiguity, and keeps accountability where it belongs: with the people doing the work.
Phasing Work Requires More Than Logistics
Multi-building facilities or operating environments—such as hospitals, university and school campuses, and commercial towers window replacement brings further complexity. Each structure must be treated as a standalone case study. Each structure often presents:
Different wall systems or construction types
Varied aging patterns and failure points
Distinct thermal or moisture behaviors
With multiple buildings, you need to organize schedules, access, and disruptions carefully. This becomes especially crucial when working within an occupied facility.
A forensic review informs the scope, which is then tailored to the local conditions. From there, construction phasing is mapped to align with access constraints and operational tolerance, sometimes requiring off-hours work, specialty routing, or staggered sequencing across zones. Access, noise, containment design, and timing all must align with the building’s ongoing use. This isn’t just construction; it only works when the teams designing the system are also responsible for building it.
Window Replacement as a Strategic Opportunity
A replacement window is more than an isolated repair. It’s a chance to re-establish envelope performance, improve energy outcomes, resolve legacy issues, and extend the life of the building. However, those outcomes require more than a good product. They require the right team and the ability to adapt to what the building needs, not just what the drawings suggest.
GHP’s full-scope delivery isn’t about cutting out steps. It’s about structuring teams so they can respond to the buildings as they are, not just how they were drawn.