Archives

Innovative fabric facades

May 1st, 2020

Changing the look and function of architecture for a sustainable future.  by Bruce N. Wright, FAIA Architects are fond of describing their buildings in the metaphoric terms of the human body. The supporting structure is often referred to as the skeleton that holds it up; the enclosure (or envelope) is the skin that protects the […]

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Protecting shoppers from monsoon rains

August 1st, 2019

By Bruce N. Wright, AIA The feeling is nothing short of amazing, say patrons of La Isla Mérida, the biggest shopping mall in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, where the streets between stores are covered completely with a transparent membrane. The city of Mérida, located near the northern coast of the Yucatán facing the Gulf […]

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‘Mass to membrane’ continues to influence the future of architecture

August 1st, 2018

Nicholas “Nic” Goldsmith, FAIA, has been a major player for more than 40 years in the development of fabric architecture in North America and around the globe through his leadership of the innovative architectural/engineering firm FTL Design Engineering Studio, based in New York City. I’ve known Nic for more than 20 of those years, and […]

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Architectural shading systems find new markets

February 1st, 2018

Ever since the 1970s back-to-earth, energy enlightenment era of oil embargoes and the beginning of the environmentalism movement, architects and government officials have acknowledged the importance of making ever more energy-efficient buildings. It has been proven that buildings (the construction of them and the manufacturing of all the materials that go into making and operating […]

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