Zenith performance space in Strasbourg wraps itself in color and light

September 1, 2008  |  Exteriors, Features

By Helen Elias Close your eyes and think of a traditional Chinese lantern — one of those round, red ones that look like it might have been pulled out of the center of a concertina. Push the shape around just a little, until it is almost elliptical, and color it a bright, vibrant orange. Then &…
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Hotel entrance canopy evokes the earth and sea

September 1, 2008  |  Case Studies, Features

By Jamie Swedberg To a guest at the 132-room Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa, it’s obvious what separates this place from other hotels. The property is the world’s first and only Gold LEED™ Certified hotel, which means that it has met rigorous environmental sustainability standards …
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Ground control in northern California

September 1, 2008  |  Case Studies, Features

Stabilizing a “living roof” with biodegradable geotextile and interlocking plant trays helps the new California Academy of Sciences building blend into hilly surroundings. By Shelby Gonzalez Lead architect Renzo Piano envisioned the new California Academy of Sciences (CAS) building as an…
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Composites allow creation of custom materials

September 1, 2008  |  Features

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…
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Dramatic freestanding canopy protects medical center patients

September 1, 2008  |  Exteriors, Features

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,…
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Tensioned fabric dresses up hand-made boats

September 1, 2008  |  Features

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&…
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Joint conference to examine sustainable architectural and structural design

July 1, 2008  |  Features

A joint conference, titled “New Materials and Technologies, New Designs and Innovations,” will be held by the International Association of Shell & Spatial Structures (IASS) and Simposio Latinoamericano de Tenso-Estructuras (SLTE), will examine a sustainable approach to architectural …
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New shades and screens made with energy-efficient fabrics

July 1, 2008  |  Case Studies, Features

Forget the old bug screen—a new generation of shades and screens is energy efficient, sustainable, attractive and functional. By Meleah Maynard The days of Grandma’s stiff, vinyl rollup shades and the heavy-duty bug screen you could hardly see through are gone. Today’s shades and s…
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LEED-H certified and GreenPoint Rated home goes up in California

July 1, 2008  |  Case Studies, Features

A developer makes sense of sustainability, starting with his own home’s greenroof. By Chris Kelsey In the foothills outside Oakland, California, a gorgeous and entirely LEED-certified home is going up. It’s also the first house to be not only LEED-H certified but GreenPoint Rated. The pr…
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Tensile structures: Do it yourself

July 1, 2008  |  Features, Structure Basics

At the Free University of Brussels, Dr. Marijke Mollaert’s architecture students design and then build their fabric structure. By Lars De Laet “Design and build your own Tensile Surface Structure!” This unique opportunity and challenge is what students from the 1st and 2nd Master i…
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