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Technical considerations of ETFE
January 1st, 1970
By Frank Edgerton Martin L35 offers the following technical information on the fabrication of the ETFE bubbles and their attachment to the underlying structure, both key details for long-term durability: “Each cushion or ‘bubble’ is made up of three layers of thermically welded ETFE membrane. The thickness of the two exterior layers is 250 μm; […]
Supporting air-supported domes in cold climates
January 1st, 1970
By Barb Ernster The air-supported membrane for the Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome sports stadium in Minneapolis held up impressively through Minnesota’s harsh winters, but in 2010—after 28 years—a record-breaking heavy, wet snow caused the membrane to tear and deflate. It was replaced in 2011 with the same St. Gobain […]
Jim Miller’s recap of a collaborative retractable classroom
January 1st, 1970
Designing systems that retract requires a certain amount of trial and error—a part of the design process Miller finds exhilarating. In 2008 Clive Wilkinson Architects approached Miller with an unlikely concept, one he couldn’t refuse. The idea was to design, manufacture and install a retractable classroom at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Va. The project required […]
Defining responsive textiles and reactive façade systems
January 1st, 1970
To make the terms “responsive” and “reactive” more understandable, a look at common approaches to shading systems is necessary. By Elena Vlasceanu Recent innovations in parametric architecture allow for finely controlled and adapted façade systems that react to diverse building and user needs. The control of the elements refers to both their shape and production […]
Fabric catches power of the sun
January 1st, 1970
Solar energy-collecting fabric products can impact energy use—and make businesses in the industry successful. By Todd Dalland Coal and oil have superbly fueled and helped enable the extraordinary growth of modern civilization. Their supply is reaching its peak, though, and will soon start to decline—while our population continues to grow and its energy needs increase. […]
What not to do
January 1st, 1970
When installing fabric structures, it’s important to consider the conditions. By Bruce N. Wright, AIA There are some basic no-nos when it comes to installing a fabric structure, and temperature and weather conditions are right up there at the top. “Don’t install fabrics in high winds or under 50 degrees Fahrenheit because the behavior of […]
Insulating for the elements
January 1st, 1970
For fabric roofs, R-values can be obtained in a number of ways, depending on light transmission needs. By Bruce N. Wright, AIA Like most wall systems in architecture, the R-value is a function of building up layers of materials that have different insulative values as well as water imperviousness. This holds true for fabric roofs, […]
The future of air-supported structures
January 1st, 1970
By Bruce N. Wright Asked what they would like to see in the future for air-supported structures, both Tectonik’s Kelsall and Inflate’s Crosbie see the integration of flexible photovoltaics as the gold standard. “Once flexible PV becomes cost effective,” says Crosbie, “that, for us, is the ‘Holy Grail.’ Then these structures can become both dynamic […]
Keeping it up
January 1st, 1970
How Tectoniks’ Dreamforce, an air-inflatable structure that is one and a half football fields in length, keep its figure during the world’s largest vendor-sponsored trade show. The world’s largest vendor-sponsored trade show, Dreamforce 2013, brought downtown San Francisco to a standstill last November when it hosted more than 130,000 cloud computing enthusiasts from 65 countries. […]
Carnegie Hall retractable rooftop pavilion
January 1st, 1970
The great design that never was. By Mason Riddle Fortunately or not, some structures never see the light of day. Take for example the spherical Cenotaph for Isaac Newton (1784) by the acclaimed French visionary architect étienne-Louis Boullée. Did not happen. Or Eliel Saarinen’s 1922 soaring setback design for the Chicago Tribune Tower. Although notable […]