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Designing fabric structures
September 1st, 2008
Three quick steps to success. By Samuel J. Armijos Step one: Do your research The best way to incorporate a fabric structure in a project or design a stand-alone fabric structure is to see what has already been done. Magazines such as Fabric Architecture, books on fabric structures and basic searches on the Internet using […]
Tension revisited –2: IDN
September 1st, 2008
An ongoing review of tension structure software. Reviewed by Joseph Schedlbauer NDN is a new software package that has been developed specifically for the tensile membrane engineering industry. It combines model building, form finding, analysis, member sizing and patterning into one program. It has video game style graphics and a friendly user interface. I had […]
Composites allow creation of custom materials
September 1st, 2008
Composites have mind-bending properties and endless applications. By Katherine Carlson It sounds like science fiction: portable airport hangars supported by columns of air, paper that conducts electricity and synthetic mother-of-pearl that can be bent without breaking. We have now entered The Matrix, but don’t expect to see Keanu Reeves in a black coat defying gravity […]
Dramatic freestanding canopy protects medical center patients
September 1st, 2008
Adding a dramatic canopy at the entrance to the UT Southwest Medical Center improved the patient experience. By Steve Fredrickson Studies show that a quality environment has as much to do with swift patient recovery as the quality of the medicine dispensed by staff. It only makes sense that a green, plant filled settings can […]
Tensioned fabric dresses up hand-made boats
September 1st, 2008
Traditional Mexican trajineras take on the latest technology to provide a stylish pleasure ride. By Steve Fredrickson The Aztecs may well have invented a form of canoe used for transportation called trajineras. Similar in function to the Italian gondola rides, the trajineras (or “hauling boat” in Spanish), were designed to move people from place to […]
Handprints decorate conical structure for festival launch
July 1st, 2008
The public lend a hand at the launch of the London Festival of Architecture. Foster + Partners successfully built a conical structure, interwoven with fabric panels hand-printed by the public to kick off the Kensington and Chelsea hub of the London Festival of Architecture on 21 June. A focal point of the Exhibition Road Festival, […]
New Whitney outpost to feature fabric on top
July 1st, 2008
The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City, has proposed a satellite museum to its main facility to be built using multiple sustainable design techniques. Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, the new museum features several terraces that step back from the main street. According to news reports, Piano plans to use a “web-like […]
2012 Stadium may be greenest yet
July 1st, 2008
The London 2012 Olympic stadium, designed by HOK Sport and Peter Cook, could be wrapped in a material made from the cannabis family of plants. Recent images released by the design team show that the temporary wrapping around the stadium will feature giant slits to allow the public to walk through the façade rather than […]
BC Place plans retractable roof
July 1st, 2008
Owners of BC Place stadium have confirmed that they are planning major upgrades to the facility, including a new retractable roof (see FA “Samples,” May/June, pg. 6.) However, the new roof won’t be completed in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics that will be held in Vancouver, although opening and closing ceremonies will be held […]
Desert museum complex gets certified Platinum LEED
July 1st, 2008
A desert museum complex—the Water + Life Museums comprising the Center for Water Education and the Western Center for Archeology and Paleontology—has been certified Platinum LEED by the US Green Building Council. Designed by Lehrer + Gangi Design + Build, the museums are topped by a 540-watt, 3,000 panel photovoltaic system. Other green elements include […]