Rural living: bringing the shade home

January 1, 2012  |  Exteriors, Features

Integrated shading in a New Zealand residence 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 min…
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College sails

January 1, 2012  |  Case Studies, Exteriors, Features

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 sh…
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Handmade to spec: from pergola to canopy

January 1, 2012  |  Case Studies, Exteriors, Features

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, cur…
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Shade sail for the BBQ

January 1, 2012  |  Exteriors, News

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 (&ldqu…
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Canopy with form and function

January 1, 2012  |  Exteriors

Small details make this eye institute’s canopy a work of art. 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 …
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Revered aquarium covers fish in fabric

January 1, 2012  |  Exteriors, Features

Coney Island is the setting for a refurbished aquarium with new fabric roof. 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 inte…
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Rio Tinto Stadium reflects local support and pride

January 1, 2012  |  Exteriors, Features

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 p…
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8.0 Restaurant features canopy for protection from the elements

January 1, 2012  |  Exteriors, Features

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 al…
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Shopping center features towering tensile membrane structures

November 1, 2011  |  Exteriors, Features

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&…
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Vancouver’s newest roof

November 1, 2011  |  Exteriors, Features

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-sup…
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