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A dramatic canopy rebrands a local landmark
June 1st, 2020
By Bruce N. Wright, FAIA In downtown Honolulu Harbor, the Aloha Tower Marketplace is one of Hawaii’s most famous landmarks. While it was completed in 1994 as part of a comprehensive revitalization project for a part of the city that had become distant from the center of business and tourist activity, it took a private […]
Mitigating heat and courting shade for shoppers in Hawaii
July 1st, 2019
By Bruce N. Wright, AIA Shade is often one of the most important design considerations for public venues in Hawaii, especially on the leeward (away from the wind) side of an island. Such is the case on Oahu, where the Ka Makana Ali‘i shopping center is located. A center court at the recently built Ka Makana retail […]
Getting into fabric graphics means doing your homework
March 1st, 2019
Ron Nissenbaum, CEO of Humphrys CoverSports in Philadelphia, Pa., has been in the business long enough—51 years to be precise—to have witnessed a few changes in the way fabricators use graphics. When Nissenbaum started at Humphrys, which itself is nearly 150 years old, graphics were a rarity on the tarps, sports field covers and other […]
Choosing between fabric and metal awnings depends on customer needs
June 1st, 2018
If you have ever had to source sustainable materials for a building design, you know about rating systems like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), administered by the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council, (USGBC). The LEED systems consider the amount of energy used to manufacture the building material and the carbon footprint it leaves […]
Diversifying can prevent seasonal downturns in the shade business
June 1st, 2018
Roller coasters belong in amusement parks, not on a company’s balance sheet. Yet for many specialty fabricator businesses susceptible to seasonal ups and downs, it may sometimes seem as if the operation is being taken for exactly that kind of ride. Not every business is prone to periodic slowdowns in work. But for those that […]
Retractable awning offers clear ocean views
January 1st, 2018
The Cane & Canoe, an exclusive hotel restaurant known for its unique blend of Hawaiian and Polynesian cuisine, is located in the Montage Hotel at the Kapalua Bay resort, one of Hawaii’s premier oceanfront resorts. Kapalua Bay, a 22,000-acre former pineapple plantation on Maui, has developed into a popular resort that includes two award-winning championship […]