Northland Stadium, Wangharei, New Zealand

FabricArchitectureMag.com | January 19, 2012

The project brief: to design and build a stadium in the Northland city of Whangarei, New Zealand, with a seating capacity of more than 3,000, the majority under cover. In addition, the client required corporate boxes and hospitality areas sheltered from the elements.

The project purpose: to create a stadium that could be used for sporting and concert events as part of a major redevelopment of Okara Park in Whangarei that would introduce significant sports activity in the area via a regional events center incorporating new grandstands and terraces to accommodate up to 25,000 people.

A tension membrane roof was a cost-effective solution for covering the stadium because it could be fabricated and installed more quickly than traditional construction methods and materials. Additionally, fabric offered beautiful aesthetics and high translucency.

Built under a tight time frame and budget, the stadium uses a concrete frame substructure topped by a cantilevered lightweight steel superstructure that is unobtrusive to the spectators. The 100 meter-long building is slightly curved to maximize the angle of spectator view, emphasizing the natural amphitheater of Okara Park, making the seating surprisingly intimate and in close proximity to the playing field.

The Northland Stadium has been a success and is in regular use since its 2010 debut. Moreover, it was the only stadium that participated in the 2011 Rugby World Cup with a PVC tension membrane roof.

Source: Structurflex

Fabric Architecture | January 2012

The largest tethered airship ever made created the world’s largest projection surface and became the centerpiece for one of the greatest shows on earth, watched by millions of people worldwide. The XIX Commonwealth Games were held in Delhi, India, October 3–14, 2010, and included a total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competing in 21 sports and 272 events. Opening and closing ceremonies were held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, highlighted by the massive floating structure. U.K.-based Lindstrand Technologies was approached about the feasibility of creating a helium-filled structure to float above the stadium, create a lifting body for displays and scenery, carry lighting equipment and provide a huge projection surface. The resulting one-of-a-kind Delhi Aerostat, designed by Lindstrand Technologies’ Lee Barnfield, was a 22,000m³ helium-filled structure that measures 80m long, 40m wide and 12m high.

The huge dimensions of the aerostat meant that it couldn’t be shipped to India in a single piece. The main body was split in four sections and assembled on site in Delhi. The time between the final events in the stadium and the closing ceremony was 36 hours, allowing Lindstrand just 12 hours to reinstall the aerostat—a phenomenal feat for a structure of that size. The total aerostat structure uses nearly 10,000m² of Ferrari Précontraint® 402 fabric, plus approximately 5km of electrical cables to operate the various fans and valves required to maintain pressure. The Delhi Aerostat received a 2011 Award of Excellence in IFAI’s annual International Achievement Awards competition.

Further developments to the Nov/Dec issue news about the London 2012 Olympics inform us that Dow is working with Cooley’s Commercial Graphics and Engineering Membranes divisions to develop and manufacture a sustainable fabric that will be used to wrap London’s iconic Olympic Stadium for the 2012 Olympic Games. Dow is also working with Rainier Industries to print and fabricate the graphics wrap; installation will be by Shade Worldwide.

Fabric Architecture will post regular updates in future issues on this exciting project.

A floating fabric sculpture graces the entrance atrium in the new MediaCityUK Living Lab at the University of Salford (Manchester, England). Appearing to hover above students throughout the entryway, the ribbon-like sculpture interlaces itself through the space and up to the second level atrium ceiling stretching nearly 22m from end to end.

Designed, engineered and installed by Fabric Architecture Ltd., Gloucester, the bespoke “Ribbon” uses a patented internal tensioned structure framing system, ArchiClad, in three discrete, but connected sections in a rotating form made up of 23 frames, each wrapped in fabric.

Fabric Architecture | January 2012

By Josep l. de Llorens

Structural Membranes 2011, the Fifth International Conference on Textile Composites and Inflatable Structures, was held in Barcelona, Spain, in October 2011. Organized by the International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE), the conference was the fifth of a series of symposiums that began in Barcelona in 2003 and will continue in Munich in 2013.

At the three-day conference, eight lectures and 85 presentations in 15 technical sessions were given to 118 participants from 25 countries and three continents. The main topics were textile composites and inflatable structures, which have become increasingly popular for a variety of applications in civil engineering, architecture, aerospace engineering and other fields. Typical examples include membrane roofs and covers, sails, inflatable buildings and pavilions, airships, inflatable furniture and airspace structures.

The ability to provide numerical solutions for increasingly complex membrane and inflatable structures is advancing rapidly because of remarkable advances in the development of nonlinear structural systems. Significant progress has been made in the formulation of finite element methods for static and dynamic problems, complex constitutive material behavior and coupled aero-elastic analysis. Structural Membranes 2011 addressed both the theoretical bases for structural analysis and the numerical algorithms necessary for efficient and robust computer implementation.

Main lectures in the plenary sessions were devoted to inflatable structures for space vehicles, zoomorphism and bio-architecture, tensairity structures, Expo Axis (Shanghai, China), parachutes, membrane molds, shape optimization and tubular inflatable structures.

Specialized technical sessions (organized by guest experts) focused on design, test methods, thermal properties and photovoltaics, inflatable structures, applications and realizations.

In keeping with its objectives, Structural Membranes 2011 collected and disseminated state-of-the-art research and technology for the design, analysis, construction and maintenance of textile and inflatable structures. A significant part of the conference presented advances in new textile composites for membrane structure applications, as well as in innovative design, construction and maintenance procedures.

Dr. Arch. Josep I. de Llorens is a professor at the School of Architecture, Technical University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain, and a frequent contributor to Fabric Architecture.

Fabric Architecture | January 2012

Understand that Hamilton, New Zealand, a sophisticated city of around 200,000 habitants located 120km south of Auckland, had the foresight to preserve a large (54ha), stream-fed lake, Lake Rotoroa, a mere five minutes away from its central business district. Also understand that the city was wise enough to set aside slightly more than half of the land that fronts the lake (aka Hamilton Lake) in two unconnected sections as a land preserve and a public park.

Picture a giant glowing, translucent paper lantern turned horizontal and you have some sense of the dazzling attraction that Hamiltonians have for the facility that dwells at lakeside: The Verandah, café and function center, designed by Chibnall Buckell Marovic –Team Architects (CBM/TA).

Built on the site of an old café on the shores of the Hamilton Lake Domain, the eastern side of Lake Rotoroa, The Verandah includes a children’s playground and sport recreational areas, as well as water sports activities adjacent to a rose garden on the grounds surrounding the center. The café has luncheon seating for 140 (or more than 200 for formal affairs such as weddings or business meetings), and reservable activity rooms. All café and function rooms are designed to have panoramic views and direct access to the lake and active outdoor areas to the west.

The building—a precast frame and glass curtainwall box slightly curved in deference to the lake—is delineated at regular intervals on the lakeside façade by bent gluelam support columns. A taut white skin of PVC fabric is tensioned over these laminated ribs to create a distinctive iconic form that is reflected in the lake’s surface. “The curved steel and timber structure of the canopy is inspired by nearby playground equipment,” says CBM/TA. “And the white membrane of the canopy is inspired by the boat sails and hot air balloons that grace the lake.” According to the designers, the simple palette of gray concrete and timber decking recall the rock boulders and timber boardwalks at the lake’s edge.

The Verandah’s sustainable design includes highly insulated floors, walls and ceilings, and double glazed windows and doors. The café has a passive ventilation system and a floor heated by water supplied from rooftop solar panels. Rainwater is collected from the roof and used for flushing toilets, energy-efficient lighting throughout is placed for maximum efficiency and, most significantly, the tensioned fabric canopy provides sun and glare control as well as minimizes solar heat gain. LED uplights underneath the white membrane provide nighttime glow.

The Verandah garnered a New Zealand Institute of Architects design award in 2010 and a Registered Master Builders Gold Award.

Project Specs / Urban(e) Wildlife: how it was done

Wedge-shaped steel plate brackets cradle the glulam beams and are bolted to the top of the building’s structural columns to make a nice detail of the connection. Pipe cross bracing in the two end bays of each end of the canopy and the center bay transition point where the canopy widens give structural rigidity to the framing system. Cross bracing in all other bays is done with stainless steel cables and marine grade fittings and turnbuckles.

Starting at the top back end of each bent wood rib, a continuously curving track edge (SFX extrusions) on centerline is used to hold the fabric edges of each bay to the curve of the glulam supports, terminating at a hold-down point a third of the way down the front edge of the supports. This brings the bottom edge of the canopy far enough down to cast a useful shadow on any glass wall behind it to keep the restaurant interior out of direct sunlight throughout all seasons. Catenary cables in pockets are welded into the bottom edge of each bay and tensioned to complete the installation.

Fabric Architecture | January 2012

By Frank Edgerton Martin

Opened in 2011, Te Wao Nui exhibit at Auckland Zoo offers an immersive and intimate experience of some of the Southern Hemisphere’s most beautiful and rare ecologies. Like many other new zoo exhibits around the world, woven metal mesh plays a leading role in building large spatial enclosures for birds and animals while preserving a connection with the outside.

Te Wao Nui is the Maori expression meaning roughly, “our native bush.” Like Temaikèn Zoo in Buenos Aries (covered in the Jul/Aug 2011 FA), Auckland’s Te Wao Nui re-creates several indigenous habitats with regionally-specific plant and animal species. Yet, in contrast with zoos that interpret far-flung continents, this project focuses solely on New Zealand and six distinctive environments that have, until recently, remained undamaged by human encroachment. Long a part of Maori culture, these habitats include: The Coast (Takutai), The Islands (Moutere Rā hui), The Wetlands (Ngā Repo), The Night (Te Pō), The Forest (Te Wao Nui a Tāne) and The Country (Whenua Waotū).

Covering 3.4ha, Te Wao Nui is the largest project ever undertaken by Auckland Zoo and covers a fifth of its overall footprint of 17ha. The ensemble of Te Wao Nui’s six interpreted habitats is home to approximately 60 different New Zealand native animal species, more than 100 native plant species and a wealth of Maori artworks.

The project required significant expertise in exhibit planning and product applications. Noted New Zealand architect and exhibit designer Logan Brewer teamed with Fabric Structure Systems (FSS) to specify and customize appropriate details and materials for four aviaries. (See sidebar for aviary type and bird species.) In explaining the unique challenges of such a complex exhibit, Warwick Bell, FSS’s project lead, notes, “Each aviary presented itself with separate challenges as each was landscaped to create a different region of New Zealand and was also constrained or dictated by the existing area in which it was built.” He describes further complications where “our structures intersected with the many different styles of buildings that housed entrances and exits and other parts of the exhibits.

“One of the greatest challenges was to achieve the tensile shape and tension required in the mesh in conjunction with the irregular natural and built landscape.” Yet, with its flexibility in form and scale, wire meshes proved an ideal solution. To design accurate mesh patterning for each aviary, FSS used 3-D surveying to create an accurate picture of the nuances of each site. They also tailored the mesh product for the needs of each ecosystem.

For the Kea Aviary, FSS applied Phantom Mesh®, a material strong enough to resist the strong beaks of the inquisitive and sometimes slightly destructive kea parrots. For the other three aviaries, FSS used Zoo Mesh. “The mesh has good tensile shaping ability,” Bell says. As an added bonus, the FSS team was already familiar with testing and fabricating Zoo Mesh through their work three years ago designing mesh panels for the Sydney Wildlife World project—winner of an IFAI award.

When asked about lessons learned from this unusually large zoo project, Bell observes that design for plants and animals is, in some ways, more challenging than creating relatively static facilities for human use. “We learned that on a project as organic as a zoo—and one so dictated by the very specific needs of the wildlife—we needed the ability to adapt very quickly and continue to develop the design up until, and even after the installation process.”

FSS took part in constant discussions with landscape and building contractors throughout fast-track construction because even the smallest details of their daily work could affect the overall result. Thus, Bell advises exhibit designers and fabricators to form strong relationships with contractors and to maintain open lines of communication on a regular basis.

Now a major tourist attraction, Te Wao Nui was funded by Auckland Council and through funds raised by the Auckland Zoo Charitable Trust. New Zealand has already seen an uptick of visitors because the “Lord of the Rings” films were shot there. Te Wao Nui will likely become part of the “must-see” itinerary.

For New Zealand’s unusual coastal and inland ecologies, Te Wao Nui promises a different kind of long-term benefit. “Many of our species are found nowhere else in the world, are threatened with extinction and need the help of us all to ensure their future,” says Auckland Zoo director Jonathan Wilcken. “The zoo has been working alongside its conservation partners for years to conserve New Zealand native species. With Te Wao Nui, it’s really great to be able to finally open the door on this work to our visitors and tell the stories of amazing efforts New Zealanders have made to conserve them. Each and everyone of us can play a role as kaitiaki (guardians) for our unique wildlife and wild places, and Te Wao Nui invites us all to get involved.”

Project Specs / Ecologies revealed: how it was done

Warwick Bell of Fabric Structure Systems offers the following insights on the two mesh products used in the aviaries:

Phantom Mesh® –Produced by Cascade Coils Drapery Inc (USA)

• Tends to be invisible when viewed from 3m to 8m away.
• Offers protection from outside predators and wildlife.
• Relative strength and light weight is a tremendous design benefit.
• Can be custom woven to lengths exceeding 12m or more.
• Can be spliced to infinite widths by joining sections in the field with a single spiral of the material using a simple corkscrew weaving action (an invisible splice), a great advantage if repair, replacement or extension of a section is necessary.
• Flexible in one direction, allowing for more design and application options.

Zoo Mesh –Produced by Star Screens Australia

• Woven stainless steel mesh; 2m-wide rolls stitched together to form tensile shapes.
• The Auckland aviaries are clad with a product called SS 304L Clear mesh available in 30m by 2m by 0.28 dia. wire.

Contributing editorFrank Edgerton Martin writes frequently about landscapes and design for international design journals. His report on the BMW-Guggenheim Lab appeared in the Nov/Dec 2011 issue.

Fabric Architecture | January 2012

By Mason Riddle

Aesthetics. Unobstructed views. Structural integrity. These were just three of the issues addressed by Shade Plus Ltd to satisfy a discerning client who needed shade relief for her new, contemporary rural home located approximately 25 minutes from the central business district of Christchurch, New Zealand. Whatever its exact design, the protective sail had to guarantee afternoon shade in summer and suitably blend in with the house without sacrificing any aesthetic “flair.”

The client, an avid equestrian and animal lover, also wanted to preserve her arresting views of the Canterbury Foothills and the Southern Alps. The home, her primary residence, could be described stylistically as a vernacular, light-industrial-looking structure in a gunmetal gray that projects a sophisticated attitude. A nearby barn houses the client’s horses.

According to Barry Wybrow, president of Shade Plus, the client was “very particular about the shade throw they wanted—and when.” The client also wanted “a monochromatic color scheme that matched the color of the house. The system had to have an edgy look that complemented the house design,” states Wybrow. In addition to its beauty, the area outside of Christchurch is known for its high winds and unexpected snowfalls.

Shade Plus’s design solution? A crisp, stylishly minimal 28m² shade sail in gunmetal gray that projects out from one end of the house over a courtyard. Using a hi-lo pattern design that suggests a bat’s wing, Shade Plus extended the sail to provide the correct shade throw and twisted the sail to create flair. By siting the support poles, also in gunmetal gray, outside the courtyard proper and mounting the sail relatively high above the ground, a bold and unobstructed outlook was created.

The shade system was also engineered for a high wind zone. To combat the site’s strong northwestern and easterly winds, strong roof fixing brackets and extra fixings were added to the initial design. Shade Plus’ design also had to allow for quick release of the shade sail in case of an unexpected snowfall. “We incorporated a ratchet fitting on the sail so it can be correctly tensioned but also dropped in a hurry if required,” explains Wybrow.

Shade Plus specializes in shade sails and shade structures and has been involved in the outdoor fabric industry for more than a decade, supplying a range of clients across New Zealand. The company designs and fabricates both residential and commercial shade sails. Most of Shade Plus’ product measures less than 50m2, due to recent changes in New Zealand building code, so the sails do not require a building consent. Employing a staff of nine during summer, the dexterous Shade Plus covers the gamut of creating new fabric structures and repairing all outdoor fabric types.

Project Specs / Rural living: how it was done

In addition to its beauty, the area outside of Christchurch is identified as a high wind zone and subject to unexpected snowfalls, thus necessitating a carefully engineered shade system to weather the site’s strong northwest and easterly winds. According to Wybrow, when Shade Plus Ltd designs fabric structures for windy sites, it adheres to three primary design principles:

• Design the sail so its low point faces into the predominant wind direction
• Increase the strength of the fittings
• Reduce the size of the sails

Consequently, Shade Plus added strong roof fixing brackets and extra fixings to the initial shade sail design system. Moreover, the design had to allow for the quick release of the shade sail in the advent of an unexpected snowfall. “We incorporated a ratchet fitting on the sail so it can be correctly tensioned but also dropped in a hurry if required,” explains Wybrow

The knitted Z16 fabric (under Shadesure® in North America) is also Shade Plus’ preferred cloth due to its high tensile strength, durability and desirable color range. “We have used this fabric for over 10 years and it has performed well in our environment,” states Wybrow. “Plus, it maintains its appearance.”

Contributing editor Mason Riddle writes regularly about design. Her piece on Wilkinson Eyre Architects’ temporary basketball arena for the London 2012 Olympics appeared in the Nov/Dec issue.

The Bethlehem Tertiary Institute, a prestigious teaching and family studies private college in Tauranga, New Zealand, recently upgraded its campus with enhanced outdoor landscaping and dedicated event and gathering spaces. One of these spaces benefited from the addition of two custom interlocking shade sails designed and fabricated by Shade Protection Ltd.

Shade Protection designed an unusual suspended cable system that minimizes interference at the ground level by using eight support posts that are kept at the perimeter. Alternating high and low points are tied back to 3m- and 5m-high powder-coated, high-tensile steel posts that are raked outward at a slight angle to give the structure a sense of movement and energy.

The space has become a popular spot for lunch breaks for both students and staff, and the college is delighted that its new outdoor centerpiece gets lots of use for official events.

This residential canopy is a retrofit of an existing wood pergola. Located in Parklands, an upscale suburb north of Christchurch, New Zealand , the project fits on top of the wooden support structure, perfectly matching the architecture of the house. Kolorful Kanvas Ltd., Waltham, created a low, curved-steel unobtrusive frame below the house roofline that allowed adequate rainwater runoff. The canopy frame is made of 60mm galvanized steel, the ribs custom rolled to spec by a co-operating engineering firm. The 5.5m wide frame was cut and taken to site and fitted to ensure that all angles and existing construction irregularities were accommodated. The translucent PVC cover fabric included sleeves that allowed for on-site tensioning. All parts were powder coated to match existing house trim.

The client’s brief called for a practical shade sail that had style and visual appeal to cover a backyard barbeque area. Shade Protection Ltd. designed a saddle-shaped (hypar) four-point sail with its eastern side open high enough to allow the morning sun to creep in and flood the patio (“great for early morning coffee,” says the client), yet low enough to provide full cover from 10 am and 3 pm, the hottest time of the day. Any rainwater that hits the sail is diverted to the two low sides.

According to Shade Protection, the four galvanized high-tensile steel posts are powder coated and all fittings use 316-schedule stainless steel, including the 4mm 7/19 strand individual hem tensioning wires. Footings are 450mm in diameter at 1.5m deep to resist New Zealand’s “wild weather,” says Shade Protection’s manager Peter Dwyer.

Fabric Architecture | January 2012

By Kelly Frush

For architecture and interior design practice Tom Eliot Fisch of San Francisco, Calif., working with the shape and form of its client’s building was first and foremost on its list. The firm ended up creating an attractive, functional structure that met many requirements and overcame detailed obstacles.

The site, the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford Hospital and Clinics in Stanford, Calif., is a LEED Silver outpatient clinic that includes four operating rooms, three laser procedure rooms, exam and diagnostic rooms, physician offices and optometry sales. Because the Byers Eye Institute was renovating, Tom Eliot Fisch (TEF) was called in to retrofit the canopy over the clinic’s entrance.

“California codes require any public facility to have a protected entrance and curb cuts [universal access],” says Alyosha Verzhbinsky, project architect on the project with TEF. “The entry is near a freeway, so it was visible from wide angle. We decided to try and reflect the design aesthetic going on inside on the outside with the curve of the canopy. What TEF created was a modified long dome canopy designed to hang from supported I beams.

“Details of how all the connections between parts were carefully considered and designed, partly because of the harsh, salty air of the nearby Pacific Ocean,” says Verzhbinsky. Fabricator Eide Industries Inc., Cerritos, Calif., used marine-grade stainless steel bolts where they are exposed and powdercoated paint on all steel parts. Eide also used PTFE fabric to cover the powdercoated frame, recessed fastening bolts and underside mounting to the existing frame. Attention to small design details such as these transformed an ordinary structure into a work of art.

In the end, Eide created a canopy with a combined coverage area of 128m². The firm worked closely with the general contractor and complied with the architect’s artistic requirements and recommendations to complete this bold and functional vision of a canopy system.

Fabric Architecture | January 2012

As the oldest continuously operating aquarium in the United States, the New York Aquarium—operating under the Wildlife Conservation Society’s ambitious plan to protect endangered marine species—has an interest in connecting to the public. With more than $150 million over a 10-year public-private capital initiative invested in upgrading the aging facility and a promise of revitalization to Coney Island’s business community, WCS is rightfully hopeful that the new digs will draw visitors in and spark a rebirth of the district. Key to the plans is the renovated Conservation Hall and Glover’s Reef facility, a 372m² building that houses more than 100 species of aquatic animals in exhibits designed to inspire and educate visitors about the importance of underwater habitats.

A salient feature of the aquarium is a tensile fabric structure that covers a 632m³ [167,000-gallon] saltwater tank and adjacent spaces designed to accommodate events. Signature Structures LLC was contracted to remove the existing fabric roof that dates back to the early 1990s and replace all membrane panels, cables, connections and structural terminations with new materials. The existing primary cablenet structure (with its triangular bow-truss arches) was retained. However, any original cables that connected to fabric were replaced with PVC-coated catenary cables and the side fabric in-fill panels that completely enclosed the original structure were replaced with sliding glass walls to increase the amount of natural light entering the interior and to allow visitors egress to the surrounding plaza.

As to be expected, new cabling and fabric required new membrane plates and attachment hardware, which Signature Structures designed and fabricated. The new fabric meets all local loading requirements including NFPA 701 and CFM Title 19.

Conservation Hall and Glover’s Reef opened to acclaim in April 2011.

Fabric Architecture | January 2012

By Maura Keller

Today’s commercial animal agriculture industry consists primarily of metal-skinned post-frame structures. Often referred to as pole barns, these facilities dot the country’s rural landscape, housing hundreds or thousands of farm animals and producing products used throughout our daily lives.

And while many of these structures are adequate for standard animal farming operations, environmental, safety and animal welfare concerns increasingly impact the agricultural industry as a whole.

That’s where the vision of architect Duane “Dewey” Thorbeck, FAIA, FAAR, founder and director at the Center for Rural Design (CRD) at the University of Minnesota, comes in.

Thorbeck has embraced sustainability in architectural design of future commercial farming facilities. His proposed design—a fabric-covered dairy barn—uses inexpensive and environmentally friendly basalt continuous filament fabric as the roof and wall material in a series of adjacent and connected animal spaces.

“Fabric is a material that has not been used for large-scale dairy facilities and I wanted to illustrate its potential to optimize productivity, reduce energy consumption, maintain cost competitiveness over building life and be environmentally friendly,” Thorbeck says. “It can be price competitive—providing a durable enclosure while allowing sunlight to illuminate the interior environment for cows and people.”

Farm-based fabric architecture can also be easily modified to meet technological advancements and changing code requirements in commercial farming practices. And while there have been some standard pre-engineered fabric structures that have been used for small dairy facilities, none has been used for any large-scale commercial dairy operations. Thorbeck’s barn design is intended to house a large population—approximately 2,500 dairy cows.

As the director of the CRD, Thorbeck has worked on research projects with the Minnesota Milk Producers Association to develop sustainable guidelines for commercial dairy facilities. “These guidelines suggest that architectural form should follow function, climate and place,” Thorbeck says. “This design concept illustrates a commercial dairy facility that is more sustainable and architecturally integrated with the regional landscape. The curving and rolling roof makes a visual connection to the geological landscape of Midwestern dairy regions, and organized with a series of adjacent and connected animal spaces.”

The barn functions with a single rotary milking parlor for 50 cows that operates continuously. Manure is processed through an anaerobic digester to create methane gas to generate electricity for farm operations, solid waste is separated in the process to create bedding, while liquid waste is spread on fields as fertilizer.

“The animal agriculture industry needs sustainable guidelines that will improve the character of the rural landscape,” Thorbeck says. “These guidelines should also provide more socially acceptable animal housing, improve working conditions and workers’ health and increase biosecurity to enhance food safety and food security.” Thorbeck’s architectural advanced fabric dairy barn may do just that.

Maura Keller writes frequently about fabric structures and industrial applications of specialty fabrics.

As Major League Soccer (MLS) continues to grow in popularity in the United States, each league team is seeing an urgent need for building a soccer-specific stadium to provide a proper facility for players and fans alike. A stadium brings a sense of community and delivers iconic architecture in the process. Salt Lake City, Utah, is home to MLS team Real Salt Lake, and its new stadium, Rio Tinto Stadium, is proof of local support and pride.

Structurflex LLC designed, fabricated and built a tensioned membrane system that serves as a prominant architectural feature while also providing protection from the elements and shade for spectators. Inspiration for the roof form comes from two sources: the nearby Wasatch Mountain Range and the human (athletic) body. The final proportions and lines of the roof elevation are akin to the profile of the human spine. Thus the stadium quotes both the professional athletes of the local team and the surrounding landscape.

The roof’s PTFE-coated glass fiber membrane is translucent yet provides shading for the seating. The steel design of the roof structure required an intricate and complex membrane design. Structurflex developed special detailing that reduced installation time and improved fabrication, a time frame of just six weeks.

Working closely with the architect, engineer, construction manager and the owner over the course of two years ensured that Structurflex would deliver an affordable system on time and on budget.

This structure in Fort Worth, Texas is an outdoor, open-air covering for a well-known restaurant and live music venue. It provides protection from rain, snow and sun while allowing the radiation of UV rays that are required to sustain plant growth. Because ETFE is generally UV transparent (allows almost 100 percent UV transmission) it was an excellent choice when considered the sustainability of the plant life below.

The canopy was designed and developed to provide protection from rain and snow, some shading and generally define the space as an entertainment venue. The venue hosts concerts 3–4 times per week during the spring and summer months and is an outdoor dining area for most of the year, depending on outside temperature. The landlord and tenant were experiencing far too many “rain-outs” each year and therefore would lose a significant amount of revenue each time. The client required that the structure have high degree of translucency as well as reflectivity in order to achieve dramatic nighttime lighting effects through the incorporation of a sophisticated LED light system. The most important aspect was to preserve the mature trees on site. The original concept called for a glass roof, however it greatly exceeded the project’s budget. A conventional steel canopy would not work as it would not allow for the transmission of the proper UV rays that sustain plant growth.

An ETFE membrane was the obvious choice of materials. Structurflex LLC proposed a turnkey approach and designed and engineered the project, fabricated the membrane and structure and served as construction manager of the canopy.

The membrane has a silver fritted dot print to provide shading. The fritting pattern is also important to achieve nighttime lighting affects through the LED lighting system that covers the entire color spectrum. This allows for the canopy to constantly change its color throughout an evening, providing a lively and dynamic feel. It was also important to maintain enough transparency to see the sky and buildings beyond so that the feeling of being in the urban core was not lost. The silver dot print provides approximately 70% translucency and achieves all of the aforementioned design criteria. Sustaining the existing trees below was absolutely critical to the owner. The overlapping arches at the apex allow for air movement but do not trap warm air at the peak. Stack venting and warm air transfer can be felt on warm, calm days and evenings. No trees were cut down in order to install the canopy; columns and support struts were strategically located and designed in consideration of the location of the trees.

The single layer ETFE membrane system and structure has become a Fort Worth landmark that defines a very familiar gathering point for locals and visitors. Architecturally, it fits very well into the context of the Fort Worth urban core. Most importantly, it sustains the vegetation while providing protection from the elements. The structure truly defines the space as an entertainment venue, particularly at night when bathed by the vibrant LED lighting.

Fabric Architecture | January 2012

“Pou Manawa,” a bespoke fabric sculptural structure in the form of a tree, is the focal point of Auckland International Airport’s new retail departure area. Crafted from PTFE fabric and tensioned into place, the sculpture creates a continuous light, translucent surface that is rear projected with various natural and traditional Maori imagery.

Initial discussions between the project architects and fabricator explored the use of various fabrics and structural forms to achieve the desired shape. While Ignite Architects developed the design for the sculptural timber-paneled trunk and the tiled base, Fabric Structure Systems developed the design and methodology of the fabric canopy. Once the concept was selected, the challenge was finding a solution to support and tension the fabric between floor level and the ceiling, which had little structural capacity. Wade Design Engineers designed a structural system that uses a massive truss ring suspended from the building roof; the canopy fabric hangs from this system. The sculptural trunk base provides a fixed anchor point for the fabric thus creating a clear projection surface. After much testing, Sefar PTFE fabric was selected for its structural strength and projection qualities. Logan Brewer and Kenderdine Electrical developed a projection system using 24 gobo projectors and LED lights to create a continuous 360° image on the complex internal surface of the tree. Red Steel fabricated the complex steel forms that support the tree fabric and the sculptural trunk.

The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) announced in a Dec. 1 press release the postponement of its second IFAI Expo Asia in Singapore.

The release said that due to the uncertainty of the completion of construction at the Suntec Center, and the continuing softness of the global economy, it will postpone its Expo Asia 2012 trade event originally scheduled for June 26-28 at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

According to IFAI’s conference management vice president, Todd Lindemann, “This decision will allow us to evaluate the date and venue for the event. We expect the second edition of IFAI Expo Asia to be bigger and draw larger attendance, and we are carefully planning for that success.”

IFAI Expo Asia 2011 had a strong premiere March 22-25, 2011, in Singapore at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, according to the release. The 2011 event included 90 exhibitors and more than 1,400 registered participants from 45 countries.

About IFAI

The Industrial Fabrics Association International is the largest and longest-running textile trade organization in the world, celebrating its 100-year anniversary in 2012. IFAI publishes seven market-specific magazines in print and online, organizes global industry events such as IFAI Expo Americas 2012 in Boston and Geosynthetics 2013 in Long Beach. IFAI supports the growth of nearly 1,900 member companies located in 54 countries.

Source: IFAI

Fabric Architecture | November 2011

By Mason Riddle

Shop ’til you drop” took on new meaning with the spectacular August opening of The Outlet Shoppes at Oklahoma City. By noon on a 110-degree Friday, approximately 45,000 people had passed—both literally and metaphorically—through the gilded gates of consumerism, dispelling any notions of a struggling economy. With more than 90 stores offering apparel, housewares, kids, footwear, specialties and accessories, and at least six restaurants, what was not to want?

One critical component to making an Oklahoma City Shoppes-a-thon pleasant, rather than preposterous, are four towering tensile membrane structures. Suggesting pagodas, the slightly rakish forms were built by Structurflex of white Ferrari 1002 T2, all 4,680m² of it. They elevate between and above the buildings and rise like snow-capped mountains when seen from nearby roadways.

While green design may not have been a stated priority of Adams + Associates Architecture, Mooresville, N.C., the structures shield shoppers from the unrelenting sun or rain, while still allowing for needed ventilation and filtered light. The canopies also shade the vibrantly hued stores below, thereby reducing solar gain. And the PVC is recyclable.

Initially, the design called for seven such structures, but the recession in 2008 dictated the project be scaled back to four. Nevertheless, the canopies collectively forge an iconic design strategy for the site. Four center steel masts and 14 side columns that connect to the building roofs via steel cables support the canopies. To increase the appeal, all have LED light rings at the pinnacle of the masts that create a soft beacon effect in the evening.

As graceful and deceptively simple as the canopies look, there were design and installation hurdles. “Initially, the structures were intended to all be identical in geometry,” says Bart Dreiling, president of North and South American operations at Structurflex. “But issues with the connecting points of surrounding buildings required four unique sets of geometry.” According to Tim McFadden, senior project manager of American operations at Structurflex, “One of the buildings was actually skewed and off by two feet so it was good that we had a survey done. This required the re-patterning of all of the structures, which was time consuming.”

Issues continued. “Interferences with steel mechanical bridges between the buildings made the installation of two of the structures much more difficult,” adds McFadden. “For these we used 20-ft high scaffolding to elevate the entire canopy above the mechanical bridges before we could start tensioning the fabric.”

If an outlet mall can be elegant and upbeat, The Outlet Shoppes at Oklahoma City is it. “Without the structures, it would appear to be just another ordinary outlet mall dropped onto an open site in the Midwest,” says Dreiling. No kidding.Spending money rarely looks so good.

Contributing editor, Mason Riddle writes about art, design and architecture for numerous national and regional journals.

Vancouver’s recently revitalized BC Place Stadium (home to the 2010 Winter Olympics) opened to great fanfare and immediately proved a success. Sold out crowds were able to enjoy an evening under the stars in late September as the new retractable PTFE fabric roof (replacing the original air-supported fabric roof) kept fans sheltered but with a clear sky view. In fact, Geiger Engineers designed three tensile membrane systems for the new roof:

• A) an ETFE single-layer clerestory façade,
• B) a fixed roof canopy of PTFE-coated glass fiber Sheerfill I with a partial liner of PTFE-coated glass fiber Fabrasorb I, and
• C) the retractable roof of PTFE Tenara® pneumatic cushions.

For WhiteCaps soccer, Vancouver’s new MLS franchise, only the lower bowl of the stadium is used. Key to the WhiteCaps lease was the ability to screen the empty upper seating bowl from view while creating a more intimate smaller venue. The solution is a system of fabric panels that deploy from power rollers behind the LED ribbon board at the leading edge of the upper seating deck and are tensioned to create a visual canopy over the lower bowl seating. The fabric is Mermet Natte 12% open shade fabric.

A team of students from Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) and California Institute of Technology (Caltech), literally have pushed the envelope for their solar house prototype designed for the Solar Decathlon.

The CHIP (Compact, Hyper-Insulated Prototype) had a white pillow-like wrap of PVC fabric around the upper part of the house, built along with 19 other architecture school entries on the National Mall of Washington, D.C. in competition for a top prize of overall most efficient solar house. The Decathlon is sponsored by the United States Department of Energy and takes place every other year in late September. SCI-Arc’s CHIP achieves the astounding R-40 rating by placing all the insulation on the outside of the building and wrapping it in an envelope of fabric.

Read more about the CHIP in the FA editor's blog.

FTL Solar LLC recently launched a new website geared toward consumers that will serve as a way to better educate potential buyers on the features and benefits of the company’s solar structures and portable power systems.

FTL Solar manufactures lightweight, solar structures and fabrics for military and personal use. The website features photos, videos and technical information.

The Soho Beach House—a world-class private club, hotel and spa on the site of the historic Sovereign Hotel in Miami, Fla.—recently reopened after a makeover by architects Shulman + Associates. The redesign and expansion included a retractable canopy over a first-level upscale restaurant and a second-level retractable cover of similar design for the hotel’s Club Bar.

The canopies are the product of a unique collaboration between SEFAR Architecture and Uni-Systems LLC using SEFAR’s ePTFE fabric Tenara® that affords exceptional flexing capability and a 40% light transmission compared to industry standard of 20%.

Sustainability is playing a major role in shaping the design and construction of the London 2012 Olympics, including the individual sport venues, the Olympic housing and the overall related infrastructure.

The driving force for this stance by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), (the tactical organization responsible for creating all the physical settings for the London games during and after the big event in 2012), is the mandate by the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) to produce a sustainable Olympics that will minimize the carbon footprint during construction, during the games themselves and long after as a legacy to the host city.

This stance has brought to the fore innovative strategies for design and construction, including a surprising number of temporary structures and venues, as well as a significant use of fabric as a cladding and shading material.

The November issue of Fabric Architecture examines a number of the Olympic venues for their use of architectural fabric and how this will contribute to the LOCOG’s goal of making this the greenest Olympic Games to date.

—BNW

Colorful fabric cladding of the temporary venue is in place. The Shooting Venue, located at the historic Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich, will stage events across three indoor ranges and three outdoor ranges.

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