Universal Window and Door provides historic windows for redevelopment of Van Brodie Mill into 102 apartment units

Lawrence, MA Universal Window and Door, a leading manufacturer of custom window solutions for historic restoration and commercial construction projects, provided historic replica windows for the recently completed transformation of the Van Brodie Mill in the Arlington Mills Historic District into 102 mixed-income apartments for owner Trinity Financial. ICON Architecture served as the architect on the project and Aberthaw Construction was the general contractor.

Working in conjunction with Rich Exterior Solutions Inc. of Falmouth, ME, Universal provided windows for over 525 openings, from the Series 700, Fixed, and the Series 550 Double-Hung in Hartford Green Kynar Finish. The historically accurate aluminum replacement windows also allowed the adaptive reuse project to meet the stringent requirements of the National Park Service and Massachusetts Historical Commission to qualify for federal and state historic tax credits. Universal Window and Door has been a part of multiple award-winning projects in Lawrence in recent years, including Lupoli Companies’ Riverwalk (2018 Menino Legacy Award and 2019 Paul & Niki Tsongas Award, Preservation Massachusetts), and Loft Five50 (2017 Tsongas Award, as well as awards from National Housing & Rehabilitation Association, and Multifamily Executive).

Constructed in 1919 by the Arlington Mills company, the Van Brodie Mill originally manufactured yarn for wool and flannel, and by the 1950s was used for producing food products, but had been vacant for the last 15 years. The completed project contains eight studio apartments, 25 one-bedroom apartments, 56 two-bedroom apartments and 13 three-bedroom apartments of the 102-units of affordable and workforce housing.

“We at Universal are proud to be part of a project that transformed this beautiful mill building into much needed mixed-income housing, and to continue to make a contribution to historic preservation through these award-winning historic mill conversion projects,” said Jim Finn, president & CEO of Universal Window and Door.

Founded in 1968, Universal Window and Door provides architects, general contractors and developers of historic buildings with high-quality, technologically-advanced aluminum custom window solutions. 

Our historic lines of windows are designed to meet the stringent requirements of the National Historic Register and the National Park Service, and we also provide window solutions along with a full line of products for the new construction of commercial, heavy commercial, institutional and residential projects.