If you’re looking for examples of how American suburbs are transforming in the 21st century, look no further than Towson, Md. This Baltimore suburb — still a rural area just a century ago — has everything that 20- and 30-something residents want in a modern city, from downtown bike lanes to two large outdoor malls.
As a result, Towson’s population is slowly but steadily increasing after a period of decline in the 1970s and ’80s. To meet this demand, developers and rental companies have been at work for decades to build and renovate housing for both a growing population and the city’s thousands of college students — both Towson University and Goucher College are located in town.
One of the rental properties that has recently gone through a renovation is Ruxton Towers, located just blocks from Towson University in the southern part of town. Built in 1968, the apartment complex replaced each of its windows in 2017 with MI windows.
“I love the MI windows,” says Ruxton Towers Property Manager Jeff Dahne, who selected the windows for the replacement project. “Compared to the aluminum windows that we had, there’s now a big difference. You come off the beltway on Route 83, and it looks like a new building.
“The old aluminum windows leaked air and water.” Dahne continues. “They were single pane. These MI windows are more energy efficient.”
Dahne selected MI’s 1685 double slider for Ruxton Towers. A vinyl window that’s ENERGY STAR®-qualified in all four U.S. climate zones, the 1685 is the perfect slider window for any renovation project. It offers superior style and handcrafted quality with features like beveled exterior edges and integral pull rails. Available in two- and three-lite configurations, the 1685 double-slider’s slim profile boasts large viewing areas, clean, continuous lines, and an unobstructed outlook.
What’s more, the 1685 is a physically solid product whose glass design decreases outside noise. This was an especially important consideration for Ruxton Towers, as it’s located along a busy highway.
“The 1685 not only offers energy savings, it’s sound deadening,” says Steve Rehman, MI sales representative with Twenty-Four Seven Sales. “It is a higher-performing STC (sound transmission class) window that makes the noise-comfort level in the apartments more livable.”
In his conversations with residents and prospective residents at Ruxton Towers, Dahne has discovered just how well the 1685 blocks noise.
“We had a lady complain that she doesn’t like the windows because she doesn’t know when it’s windy outside,” he says with a laugh. “The old windows leaked and the owners knew when it was windy outside. People are used to the highway noise. (But here), there’s no noise now. A lady was here looking at an apartment a few weeks ago. She said it was too close to the highway. Then she walked into the apartment and said, ‘I don’t hear anything.’”
When it came time to pick a color for the windows, Dahne kept with current trends in the construction and fenestration industries by eschewing a white exterior and choosing almond instead.
“The almond color is more of a blend into the building so that the frame doesn’t jump out at you like a mill finish or a bronze finish would,” Rehman says. “It’s more of a neutral color for the building.”
Put it all together, and the 1685 with the extruded almond exterior perfectly complements this fashionable apartment building. Ruxton Towers features tennis courts, a swimming pool, and shared business space for residents; it’s also located in one of the nicer areas of Towson.
