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Fabric protects agricultural assets
January 1st, 2012
Duane Thorbeck proposes fabric barns as a sustainable choice. 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 […]
Rio Tinto Stadium reflects local support and pride
January 1st, 2012
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, […]
8.0 Restaurant features canopy for protection from the elements
January 1st, 2012
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 […]
Pou Manawa
January 1st, 2012
Auckland International Airport, New Zealand “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 […]
IFAI Expo Asia 2012 postponed
December 5th, 2011
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 […]
Shopping center features towering tensile membrane structures
November 1st, 2011
Outlet Shoppes at Oklahoma City prove the benefit of integrating shade with commerce 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, […]
Vancouver’s newest roof
November 1st, 2011
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 […]
Student designed solar house (wrapped in fabric)
November 1st, 2011
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 […]
More solar energy on the web
November 1st, 2011
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 […]
Chi-chi shade in Miami
November 1st, 2011
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 […]