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A case for small fabric structures, Part 2
October 1st, 2016
The balancing act with new materials for portables. For Harry Osborne, creative lead at SET-Live, the graphic applications and collection of temporary structures throughout the “Google on the Beach 2015” (GoB) event was an exercise in balance. “A balance between getting the most from Anthony Burril’s incredible artwork,” * says Osborne, “but also satisfying the […]
Textile fibers reinforce a building
August 30th, 2016
A Japanese fabric manufacturer reinforces its showroom against earthquakes, while making a provocative visual statement. With the four main islands of Japan perched atop a convergence of three major tectonic plate boundaries, the country has a history of earthquakes and seismic activity. The ongoing seismic impact on buildings, infrastructure and population is significant, requiring some […]
A case for small fabric structures, Part 1
August 30th, 2016
New materials are making structures lighter and more portable. The owner of the iced-coffee cart in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn, N.Y., understands the old real estate saw: location, location, location. It makes perfect sense when the coffee cart is made with new, lighter materials available today, making picking up and moving to a better location […]
Shade structure foundations
August 2nd, 2016
When it comes to fixing a shade structure in place, design, fabrics, hardware and informed engineering all play a part. As anyone with knowledge of the history of tension structures will tell you, there is a logical and long-standing connection between marine hardware and tension structure hardware. One came from the other. Or more accurately, […]
Functional tensioned shade sculpture
August 1st, 2016
Framed structure of gently arching beams creates a focal point and memorable landmark for a community. Early 1900s towns in the U.S. Southwest sprung up like cacti wherever stagecoach stops seemed appropriate. Established in 1912, Tolleson, Ariz., is one of those stagecoach layover points, and like many American towns that predate the automobile, the transformation […]
Structural behavior
August 1st, 2016
The challenges of designing and sizing the elements that make up a shade structure. Structural engineer Craig G. Huntington, president of Huntington Design Associates Inc., describes the challenge of designing and sizing the elements that make up a shade structure: “Shade structures are generally intended to be economical structures, and, as such, it’s often difficult […]
Zaha Hadid’s work has a natural affinity for fabric
April 12th, 2016
The late British master architect and Pritzker Prize winner worked in all the standard architectural materials, but many of her most striking designs aptly incorporated tensile fabric elements. “Our work with Zaha Hadid’s office on the Serpentine Sackler Gallery addition,” says Lance Rowell, former CEO of Architen Landrell, “was, at the time (like with all […]
Open-air restaurant
March 1st, 2016
It’s hard to imagine a more idyllic and exotic land than the island nation of the Republic of Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean southwest of the southern tip of India and only five degrees north of the equator. A double chain of 26 atolls strung along a submarine mountain ridge, the Maldives atolls compose […]
College amphitheater canopy
January 1st, 2016
Established in 1967, The College of DuPage, in Glen Ellyn, Ill., recently underwent a $35 million renovation of its McAninch Arts Center (MAC), including the creation of an open-air amphitheater, called Lakeside Pavilion. Lakeside Pavilion is sited within view of the MAC’s Playhouse and Studio Theaters on lushly landscaped grounds and a stone’s throw from […]
Rooftop canopies
December 1st, 2015
In daytime, three white sails provide protection from the sun; at night, lighted canopies create a warm, intimate atmosphere for elegant dining. Santa Monica Place, one of the most popular public gathering spots in this southern California Eden, has a storied history serving as backdrop to several films and television shows since its 1980 opening, […]