Conjoined canopies create year-round outdoor play space
October 1st, 2023
A preschool now can make the most of its space after Fresco Shades replaced some old shade sails with conjoined canopies on the school’s L-shaped deck. Children get to play and learn outside even on rainy days. “We have come across some complicated designs before, but none quite this quirky. To say it was a challenge […]
Outdoor canopy build is true collaboration
June 1st, 2022
A seemingly simple job can sometimes create many challenges but still result in a great finished project. A case in point is the canopy built for a homeowner’s outdoor space by Fresco Shades, of Auckland, New Zealand. The homeowner had provided a CAD drawing of the desired space and even visited the designer’s office to discuss […]
Te Nukuao
March 1st, 2022
For most of its history the America’s Cup yacht race took place on offshore courses far from the viewing public, but recent race organizers wanted to transform it into a spectator sport. When the 36th America’s Cup took place in New Zealand last March, visitors could, for the first time, watch the race from viewing […]
Biolumen Lab
January 1st, 2022
It may look like an alien life form, but Biolumen Lab is indeed a classroom—an inflatable, cell-based one at that—for secondary school students to experience a week of science-based learning, generating curiosity and promoting science as a potential career path. “Biolumen Lab is an experience, an environment and a place to learn and try out […]
Byond Disaster Relief New Zealand and OFPANZ work together when disaster hits
March 1st, 2020
by Laurie Junker Hardly a month goes by without news of a catastrophic weather event somewhere in the world. Whether it’s a hurricane, tsunami, flood or wildfire, the scenes have become distressingly familiar—homes and businesses destroyed, vegetation laid bare and hundreds if not thousands of displaced people seeking the basic necessities of fresh water, food […]
2018 OFPANZ Awards for Excellence winners
January 1st, 2019
Twelve projects were recognized as winners of the 2018 Awards for Excellence competition hosted by The Outdoor Fabric Products Association of New Zealand (OFPANZ). The Awards for Excellence offers OFPANZ members a chance to showcase design excellence, technical skills and innovation to other members and the industry. Entries are judged by appearance/workmanship, complexity, design/innovation, and […]
Selling a business depends on good record keeping and planning
March 1st, 2018
No matter where in the world we run our businesses, we aspire to be successful, profitable and happy. We have either started the business from nothing, purchased an existing enterprise or taken the reins of the family business. Often, we begin with limited skills, have minimal formal industry training and largely "learn by our mistakes." […]