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Pat Perry Tent
March 1st, 2023
To help the Virginia Arts Festival celebrate its 25th Anniversary at a new venue, a new custom tent was needed. Tents LLC, of Frederick, Md., approached the Tukwila, Wash.-based Rainier Tent with a bold and creative idea for the Pat “Bunny” Perry Pavilion, a staple for the annual festival. Rainier’s graphic design team collaborated with […]
Tern Point Shade Renovation
February 1st, 2023
Sometimes building a home to capitalize on the view of its surroundings may introduce some unintended problems. Fabric Structures, based in Whangarei, NZ, had been consulted by the owners of a home that had been designed and built around the north-facing aspect and proximity to the ocean and sand dunes of the Mangawhai harbor. Extensive […]
Fabric structures that withstand extreme environments
November 1st, 2022
Creativity is required when it comes to designing shades that can withstand Hawaii’s extreme trade winds. A solution devised by Tropical J’s is using motorized wire-guide shades, shown here installed at a residence, rather than tracked or keder shades, which can blow out of the tracks in high wind. Photo: Tropical J’s Inc. Visitors to […]
An alternative to brick and mortar
May 1st, 2022
Fabric structures can offer an affordable, practical grain-storage solution. This fabric structure at the Rake, Iowa, location of Landus, a farmer-owned cooperative, measures 685 feet long and 180 feet wide. It was built in 2021 and holds up to 4 million bushels of corn or soybeans. Photo: Landus Successful businesses know that eco-friendly practices are […]
2019 State of the Industry
April 1st, 2019
Economic growth in 2018 increased in the United States: Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reached 3.0 percent for the first time since 2005. Unfortunately, growth has been down in other advanced economies such as Canada, Japan and Europe. Growth in the emerging economy of China was also down in 2018—reaching 6.6 percent. China’s GDP is projected […]
Fabric’s role in revitalizing neglected urban areas
February 1st, 2019
Like other rust belt cities, Detroit began declining decades ago, propelled by a combination of bad luck, bad timing, bad decisions and economic transformations that delivered additional crushing, seemingly fatal, blows. Its condition was such that not so long ago, numerous companies sprang up offering tours of the city’s ruined buildings and factories—a somewhat morbid […]
IAA submissions due June 30
May 1st, 2018
The International Achievement Awards (IAA) are an annual competition with a goal to promote awareness of the specialty fabrics used in thousands of products and applications ranging in size and shape. For more than six decades, the awards have recognized innovation, technical skill and design excellence. Entries are judged by industry experts, editors, architects, educators […]
Economic growth projected for shade markets
April 1st, 2018
Editor's note: A brief summary of IFAI's State of the Industry report appeared in the March 2018 issue of Specialty Fabrics Review. The summaries for the awnings/canopies and fabric structures appear here. For the summary of all 11 market areas covered by IFAI, visit www.SpecialtyFabricsReview.com. To purchase the entire report, visit www.ifai.com/marketresearch. Economic growth in […]
Working with architects: How fabricators can forge productive partnerships
January 1st, 2018
Fabrics and architecture have been partners for millennia and have worked together to create some of the most iconic, useful and beautiful structures in the world—from traditional Mongolian yurts to arena domes at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Indeed, fabric is a critical element of our built environment. It’s still a process of education about fabric […]
Five top reasons for using an air-supported structure
October 1st, 2015
Many manufacturers use similar arguments when pitching to clients on the benefits of air-supported structures. The top five: 1. Quick to erect. Air-supported fabric structures are significantly faster to erect than traditional “brick-and-mortar” structures. They do not require permanent foundations and generally need minimal site preparation, and often don’t require planning consent if they are […]