Though installation of the windows and doors posed its own issues, selecting the window and door material proved almost daunting. Our canary is highly reactive to soft woods – one of the main reasons this first build is concrete and steel.  As most standard wood windows are made from pine or other softwood, an extensive search was conducted for manufacturers that would use hard woods, such as maple or birch. While there were a few more options with double pained windows, given Maine’s weather triple pained windows were stringently recommended. The triple pained window better ensures retention of indoor heat during the winter and repelling of hot outside air during the summer. We selected specific Anderson Series E windows. The outside of the windows is clad in metal with pre-attached trim.  The pre-attached trim minimizes the exterior maintenance the windows would otherwise require.