September 1, 2017
Glen Raven Inc. has signed a letter of intent to acquire Sunbury Textile Mills. Under the agreement, Sunbury will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Glen Raven and will operate as part of Glen Raven Custom Fabrics LLC, best known as the makers of Sunbrella® fabrics. Sunbury’s team specializes in decorative jacquard upholstery fabrics targeting …
September 1, 2017
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched its web-based Injury Tracking Application (ITA) on Aug. 1, and extended the deadline for submitting 2016 injury and illness data to Dec. 1, 2017. The reporting requirements are part of a final rule issued in October 2016 to improve tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses. The new …
September 1, 2017
For the last 18 years, the Young Architects Program at The Museum of Modern Art and MoMA PS1 in Manhattan has sponsored a design competition for emerging architects. The challenge was to develop a creative design for a temporary outdoor installation that provides shade, seating and water. Guidelines regarding environmental issues, including sustainability and recycling, …
September 1, 2017
The Canadian Printable, Flexible, Wearable Electronics Symposium (CPES2017) was held on the outskirts of Toronto in May this year. Buildings, and smart buildings in particular, were a hot topic both in presentations and in the poster exhibition that accompanied the three-day event. Ronald Zimmer, president and CEO of the Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) set …
September 1, 2017
Scott Filipiak been named creative director at Rainier Industries, Tukwila, Wash. Rainier has added complete design services to its scope of capabilities, including print, metal, fabric and wood fabrication. Filipiak has an extensive graphic design and fine arts background with experience that includes working with clients on everything from small advertising campaigns to large scale …
September 1, 2017
Polymer-based single-ply membranes are gaining market share from bitumen for waterproofing flat roofs, according to a recent study by Applied Market Information Ltd. (AMI Consulting), Bristol, U.K. As construction activity has strengthened in Europe over the last few years and the market continues to shift toward lighter weight and faster construction techniques, the growth in …
September 1, 2017
R+T, an international trade fair for roller shutters, doors/gates and sun protection systems, is set for February 27 through March 3, 2019, at the Messe Stuttgart, Germany. At R+T, attendees will find a va-riety of products, including exterior Venetian blinds, awning control systems, fire protection doors and gates, and security equipment. More online information is …
September 1, 2017
In 1956, all of New York City’s art world was abuzz about a new exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). It wasn’t the retrospective about the French Impressionist painter Henri Matisse, whose works had newly arrived in New York from Paris (a show that originated at the French National Museum of Modern Art), …
August 2, 2017
Glen Raven Inc., a global provider of performance fabrics, has signed a Letter of Intent to acquire Sunbury Textile Mills, a market leader in the design and manufacture of decorative jacquard fabrics. Under the agreement, Sunbury will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Glen Raven Inc. and will operate as part of Glen Raven Custom …
August 1, 2017
Trivantage, a national one-stop shop for fabrics, hardware and accessories, recently added the Dickson North American Collection to its shade collection offerings. The popular shade fabric offers customers additional options with a wide range of solids, stripes and jacquards. The collection is available in 60 solid patterns, four block stripes, 47 traditional stripes and nine …
August 1, 2017
Mike Peterson restructures an awning company’s culture by asking hard questions, collaborating on the anwers and fearlessly changing the rules. “Our old philosophy was to focus on profitability and the end result—and in order to get there we did our best to take care of our customers, and our employees came last,” says Mike Peterson, …
July 1, 2017
Outdoor entertainment and shopping spaces are popular in temperate climates for good reason. Everyone loves outdoor settings to listen to music, window shop and eat in open-air environments. Under the sometimes-sweltering California sun, however, open-air facilities need shaded areas for UV protection. Former IFAI Award of Excellence winner Jim Miller, of Jim Miller Canvas Inc., …
June 1, 2017
The hills of Hollywood, Calif., are home to some of the most creative, successful people in the world. One residence is home to one of the most creative and successful shade structures in the world, as well. Jim Miller of J. Miller Canvas Inc., Santa Ana, Calif., adapted his innovative commercial shade structure design for …
June 1, 2017
Canada may be known for its long, dark winters, but its summer sun can be intense. To combat the heat and glare of direct sunlight on a backyard deck, Rolltec Rolling Systems Ltd. of Concord, Ontario, Canada, worked with a client to create a three-piece retractable awning system. “This project required adequate coverage for an …
May 1, 2017
The tradition of childcare facilities in New Zealand goes back a fair number of years, in fact to the 1880s. In Auckland, there are a number of childcare operations that, although not from the 19th century, do claim a history dated to the early 1950s. Case in point is the Torbay Kindergarten, a branch facility …
April 1, 2017
Hotels offer comfort, convenience and panache for entertainment events. In order to make the best use of an outdoor gathering space on its grounds, the Wickham Park Hotel in Wickham, Australia, worked with Shade To Order Pty Ltd. of Gateshead, Australia, to create a sheltering tensile fabric structure. The architectural fabric installation needed to cover …
March 1, 2017
In the desert of Arizona, shade is always in high demand. Following the popularity of its signature SUNAMI® shade structure, Tensile Shade Products LLC of Tucson, Ariz., wanted to expand its prefabricated shade structure product line to include another product that would provide more shade with a similar style, and would be a dynamic enhancement …
March 1, 2017
Voted the ninth best place to live in Britain, Guildford, England, holds onto its storied past while embracing the future with new construction, such as the Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel downtown. Guildford, located just 27 miles southwest from London, is the historic county seat of Surrey where the University of Surrey and the 20th century …
February 1, 2017
Rubb USA, utilizing Serge Ferrari flexible composite materials, recently completed the installation of a modular structure at the Summit Station, Greenland, adapting the structure’s design to the unique needs of the extreme cold weather location. The Summit Station, located on the summit of the Greenland Ice Sheet, is home to the Greenland Environmental Observatory (GEOSummit), …
February 1, 2017
Pergola def.: 1. A garden structure with an open wooden-framed roof often latticed, supported by regularly spaced posts or columns. The structure, often covered by vines or roses, shades a walk or passageway. A new private residence in Phuket, Thailand, that overlooks a bay area of an exclusive waterfront district, features a large timber pergola …
September 1, 2017
The Canadian Printable, Flexible, Wearable Electronics Symposium (CPES2017) was held on the outskirts of Toronto in May this year. Buildings, and smart buildings in particular, were a hot topic both in presentations and in the poster exhibition that accompanied the three-day event. Ronald Zimmer, president and CEO of the Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) set …
September 1, 2017
In 1956, all of New York City’s art world was abuzz about a new exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). It wasn’t the retrospective about the French Impressionist painter Henri Matisse, whose works had newly arrived in New York from Paris (a show that originated at the French National Museum of Modern Art), …
August 1, 2017
Successful marketing and selling means reaching, educating and caring for customers—in print, in person and online. Awnings, shades and screens offer a wide and appealing range of benefits, attested to by virtually every website in the business. But homeowners in particular concentrate on five letters: s-h-a-d-e. “UV protection is important, but not mentioned as much …
July 1, 2017
“Every time the phone rings we have a new opportunity to see how we can help somebody,” says Jerry Margrave, MFC, owner of Specialty Trim & Awning Inc., Bakersfield, Calif. “That’s the way we look at it—we’re helping people solve a problem, whether it be sun coming in a window, the need for covered patio …
June 1, 2017
“Last year was our best year, and we’re at another point of growth right now,” says Cheryl Yennaco, owner and general manager of Melrose, Mass.-based Atlantic Awnings. “That growth started when we decided to clean house and rebuild the business. It wasn’t easy but it was worth it, and at this moment we have the …
May 1, 2017
Fabric homes could well have a place in future urban settings. To explore this possibility, one such dwelling, the Breathe House, has been created as a prototype for a future living environment called “MINI Living–Breathe.” Created by Brooklyn, N.Y., architects SO-IL, the prototype was created as a sustainable response to ever-shrinking homes and limited resources …
May 1, 2017
As the old joke goes: How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice! Or you can get there by creating an air-supported tent designed for Carnegie Hall’s roof, as Pvilion and its collaborative partners recently did to much acclaim. This inflatable event space incorporates a technology originally developed for military applications, that of high-pressure fabric …
April 1, 2017
The structure once known as the Cistercian Abbey in Dargun, Germany, has a storied past. Located in the far north of the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the structure was built in the 13th Century as a Gothic monastery complex. Constructed of stone and brick, the building suffered major damage during World War II, leaving it …
March 1, 2017
Experts discuss the best ways to encourage designers to use fabric in their projects. Confession: I am a licensed architect (please don’t hold that against me!) and I like fabric. I am also a teacher of young architects and designers and take every opportunity to introduce students to the wonders of fabric in architecture and …
February 1, 2017
Italian architects and German engineers create a dynamic fabric structure for the Palace of Congress conference center “Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably will themselves not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work.”—Daniel H. Burnham, American architect No one could accuse fascist leader …
September 1, 2017
Glen Raven Inc. has signed a letter of intent to acquire Sunbury Textile Mills. Under the agreement, Sunbury will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Glen Raven and will operate as part of Glen Raven Custom Fabrics LLC, best known as the makers of Sunbrella® fabrics. Sunbury’s team specializes in decorative jacquard upholstery fabrics targeting …
September 1, 2017
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched its web-based Injury Tracking Application (ITA) on Aug. 1, and extended the deadline for submitting 2016 injury and illness data to Dec. 1, 2017. The reporting requirements are part of a final rule issued in October 2016 to improve tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses. The new …
September 1, 2017
Polymer-based single-ply membranes are gaining market share from bitumen for waterproofing flat roofs, according to a recent study by Applied Market Information Ltd. (AMI Consulting), Bristol, U.K. As construction activity has strengthened in Europe over the last few years and the market continues to shift toward lighter weight and faster construction techniques, the growth in …
September 1, 2017
R+T, an international trade fair for roller shutters, doors/gates and sun protection systems, is set for February 27 through March 3, 2019, at the Messe Stuttgart, Germany. At R+T, attendees will find a va-riety of products, including exterior Venetian blinds, awning control systems, fire protection doors and gates, and security equipment. More online information is …
August 2, 2017
Glen Raven Inc., a global provider of performance fabrics, has signed a Letter of Intent to acquire Sunbury Textile Mills, a market leader in the design and manufacture of decorative jacquard fabrics. Under the agreement, Sunbury will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Glen Raven Inc. and will operate as part of Glen Raven Custom …
August 1, 2017
Living sustainably often means challenging the status quo to develop new, more eco-friendly alternatives. That’s the case with Breathe—MINI Living, a unique housing prototype introduced at Milan Salone del Mobile 2017. Designed by New York-based architects SO-IL for MINI Living, Breathe—MINI Living challenges people to think about how much space they need, how the space …
July 1, 2017
Imagine walking through a dense forest canopy made entirely of fabric. That was the vision of French designer Élise Fouin, who was tasked with showcasing the Sunbrella® Indoor-Outdoor 2015-2017 Fabric Collection in a new and unique way. Fouin created a mosaic of colors in shades ranging from earth red to various hues of green and …
July 1, 2017
The Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy, a plaza central to the city’s history, is a popular tourist attraction and gathering spot. A short walk away, located amidst a series of courtyards, is the Brac Bookstore + Café, a fresh, modern respite from the hubbub of the square. Recently, the 807-square-foot space was renovated to …
July 1, 2017
An exciting new stadium is rising on the Canadian prairie. Part of the Regina Revitalization Initiative, the new Mosaic Stadium will be home to the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. Slated to open in the summer of 2017, the multipurpose facility seats 33,000 and can expand to 40,000 in order to hold large events like …
June 30, 2017
The Fabric Structures Association (FSA) and the Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA), both divisions of Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), are hosting an introductory two-day Educate the Professor seminar on the fundamentals of using fabric and films as building materials. Professors who attend these courses can bring their knowledge to students at their respective institutions. …
