62 features 46 - ifai国際産業ファブリック協会 … sleek residential shading installation...

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On the cover: Shading is integral to the atrium of the Peabody EssexMuseum, Salem, Mass. (designed by Moshe Safdie & Assoc. Inc.)where sail-like screens at the skylights furl and unfurl as needed.Cover design: Melissa Schlegel

Vol. 17, No. 2

design solutions for the future

C O M I N G N E X T I S S U ELooking inward: Recent projects that rework interiors with technicalfabrics; plus international news of fabric structures, awnings, ban-ners and specialty fabrics.

46 PortfolioThe latest winners in fabric structures for the International AchievementAwards.

53 Special section–Shadowy realmsExploring new shading techniques and elegant solutions to an age-oldchallenge: holding back the sun.

54 Desert fabricA sophisticated system of fabric shading elements helps control thissouthwestern arts complex in Mesa, Arizona by BOORA and DWLArchitects.By Todd Willmert

58 A light adaptationOklahoma City’s Federal Building is restored to monumental heightsdue in part to cleverly designed “light shelves.”By Melissa Kaudy

60 Worldly news fit to printReuters, the international news organization, has an outpost inGeneva, Switzerland where a sophisticated façade fitted with 160shades both inside and out mitigates any solar gain.

61 Blocking sun downunderThis sleek residential shading installation near Sydney, Australia,blends seamlessly with the window modules.By Jessica Sellers

62 Museum shadingA unique design of shades and skylights enhances the atrium of acherished New England institution, the Peabody Essex Museum,Salem, Mass., by Moshe Safdie & Assoc.By Melissa Kaudy

64 Showcase:Four striking examples of shading integrated into good designs, includ-ing an exterior smoking court for Texas Southern University, Houston;the shade banners for Procter & Gamble’s headquarters; a spiderweb-inspired canopy for a roller coaster, and Senscity, a futuristicresort planned for Las Vegas.

F E A T U R E S62

C O L U M N S4 First word

6 News

12 Report–HoustonStudents at the University of Houston School of Architecture learn the joys of fab-ric structure design and fabrication—first hand.By Christof Spieler

18 ShadeIn the heart of suburban Memphis sits an evolving church experiment—completewith fabric structures that can change with the changing times.By Betsy Taylor

22 Sustainable designFresh air: Fabric duct systems provide an adaptable, cheap alternative to metal.By Jamie Swedberg

28 ArtBritish sculptor Diana Edwards converts an ephemeral leaf/tree concept intofabric canopy.By Martin Hall

30 LandscapeThis unusual landscaped park uses the sophisticated technology of tensile struc-tures to play it safe with a “jumping castle” that is down to earth.By Christopher Carlson

32 InteriorsAn award-winning exhibit uses fabric to convey Nestlé’s message for the future.By Maura Keller

36 Continuing educationShading techniques for sustainable advantage.By Bruce N. Wright

44 Self testContinuing education self test and reporting form.

68 Selected detailSkylight shading screens for the Reuters Geneva office. CSI Section 086700.

70 Case studyFlorida chic: Holding back the sun in sunny Florida helps this retailer snag customers.By Mark Miller

72 New productsA passel of new shade-related products for your next project.

76 First draftDesigns for a free-form tennis court building on Long Island.

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Publisher Mary Hennessy [email protected]

Editor Bruce N. Wright, RA [email protected]

Associate Editor Melissa Kaudy

Editorial Director Galynn Nordstrom

Editorial Intern Jessica Sellers

Production Manager Russell Grimes

Senior Designers Jennifer L. Oswald,Melissa Schlegel

Graphic Designers Heidi E. Reed, Kari NorlandCathy Rose

Production Coordinator/Designer Trisha Allex

Promotions and Circulation Manager Mary J. [email protected]

Assistant Circulation Manager Susan [email protected]

Advertising Sales Manager Sarah Hyland

Advertising Sales Jane Anthone, Jennifer Eusterbrock, Andrew Lambert, Karen Lien, Matt Mason, Susan Parnell, Dawn Westermann

Advertising Account Coordinator Elizabeth Welsh

Contributors (this issue) Christoper Carlson,Martin Hall, Maura Keller, Julian King, Mark Miller, Jessica Sellers, Christof Speiler,Jamie Swedberg, Betsy Taylor, Todd Willmert

Contributing Editors Joanna Baymiller, J. Clark,Jean M. Cook, Ali Heshmati, Percy Hooper,Barbara K. Hower, Robert Off, Victor Hugo Roldán Gonzáles, Ron Shaeffer, Jamie Swedberg, Todd Willmert

Fabric Architecture is published by the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), a nonprofit trade association dedicated to promotingthe use of specialty fabrics.

IFAI PresidentStephen M. Warner800 225 4324, +1 651 222 2508

Fabric Architecture Advisory Board

Craig Huntington, P.E. Huntington Design Associates

William Overton Meridian Mfg. Corp.

Goetz Schierle, PhD., FAIA University of Southern California

R.E. Shaeffer, P.E. Florida A&M University

Deborah W. Dalton, ASLA, CELA University of Oklahoma

Gary J. Crowell, AIA Philadelphia University

Nora Norby, MFC Banner Creations, Minneapolis

Erik Moncrieff Berlin

John Carter J&J Carter Ltd., Basingstoke, UK

Juan Monjo-Carrió Universidad Politécnica de Madrid

Gerry D’Anza Naples, Italy

Marijke Mollaert, PhD Free University of Brussels

Matti Orpana Tensotech Oy, Kokkola, Finland

Pete Weingartner, CPP Queen City Awning

First wordanimated feature film “The Incredibles,” main character Bob

Parr (Mr. Incredible) sneaks off to find his tailor, Edna Mode—a hilarioussend-up of the haute couture artiste—to have his superhero’s suit mend-ed. Ms. Mode enumerates a panoply of new developments she’s made inher newest line of outfits for superheroes—all without capes! These cos-tumes are amazing to behold. They can stretch beyond any spandex weknow today, resist fraying due to friction from some hero’s rapid leg move-ments, or hold up to extremely high temperatures due to a sun’s worth offlames and explosions—whatever a superhero needs to endure.

The film’s laundry list of what could be done with “special” fabrics thatare virtually indestructible is a good indicator of how far the development andimprovement of textiles has come in society’s view. The amazing thing is, thefilm is not far from reality when it comes to specialty textiles, such as those devel-oped for safety and protective situations, industrial uses and a host of other com-

mercial applications. We’ve all heard of the durability of Kevlar® and Nomex®to withstand bullets in law enforcement vests, and there are fabrics for handlinghigh-temperature materials made into gloves that don’t burn the skin or getunreasonably hot. We’ve also seen fabric save the day for NASA’s interplanetary

land rovers when they bounced onto the surface of Mars encased in acocoon of air bags. And there are sophisticated wetsuits now available for

speed swimmers and Olympic contenders. Many of these specially designed textiles are on display

at a new exhibition, currently at the Cooper-Hewitt, NationalDesign Museum in New York City, called “Extreme Textiles: Designing

for High Performance” (April 8–October 23, 2005.) If you have achance to visit New York during that time, you should make apoint of visiting this show, because many of the specialty fabricsindustry’s leading manufacturers are included in the exhibition.(For more information, visit: ndm.si.edu/)

The same amazing claims made for “extreme” textilescan be made for those developed for architectural, landscape and buildinguse, and this issue presents a number of examples. On pg. 30 you’ll find anextra-terrestrial landscape in Japan that updates the usual kiddie inflated“Moon Walk” using a sophisticated system of airtight fabric and technologydeveloped first for the membrane structures market.

Throughout this special-focus issue you’ll find information andinspiration from numerous projects that utilize shade screens and technicalfabrics to literally wrap buildings to protect them from too much sun, muchlike an iconic suit protects a superhero. And this month’s continuing educa-tion article (pg. 36) spells out in detail current thinking on using fabric toshade buildings to reduce energy use. Finally, we’ve combed our industryresources to bring you new products (pg. 72) that should help you find inno-vative and effective ways to blend fabrics and architecture.

Bruce N. [email protected]

In the recent

Mr. Incredible’s clothes

First word

Industrial Fabrics Fabric Architecture (ISSN 1045-0483), is published bi-monthly with an additional Special Issue inNovember by Industrial Fabrics Association International, 1801 County Road B W, Roseville, MN 55113-4061.Periodicals postage paid at Minneapolis, MN and at additional mailing offices. Statement of facts and opinionsare made on the responsibility of the author alone and do not necessarily imply the opinion of the magazine, itsadvisory committee, its editors, or the association. Fabric Architecture reserves the right to refuse any and alladvertising and disclaims all responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Copyright ©2005 by the IndustrialFabrics Association International. Materials may not be reproduced without written permission. Subscriptions: USA$43, Canada and Mexico $54, all other countries $72, payable in U.S. funds (includes air mail postage). Printedin the USA. Publications Mail Agreement #40027027. Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5 E-mail: [email protected]

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For subscription questions

Subscribe online at www.ifai.comCall 800 225 4324 or +1 651 222 2508, fax +1 651 631 9334, e-mail [email protected]

Or mail inquiries to:

Sue Smeed,Assistant Circulation ManagerFabric Architecture1801 County Rd. B W.Roseville, MN 55113-4061 USA

Please include your customer numberwith all inquiries.

Customer numberYour customer number is listed on the upper left cor-ner of your mailing label and the upper right corner ofyour invoice.

Change of addressFor uninterrupted delivery of your magazine, pleasenotify us four weeks prior to your move.

Missing/damaged issuesWe will gladly replace these issues, inventory permit-ting. Please notify us of missing or damaged issueswithin 60 days.

Duplicate invoicesOccasionally you may receive a renewal or paymentreminder after you have already mailed us your pay-ment. If this happens, it means our correspondencehas crossed in the mail. If you receive a second noticeafter sending in your payment, please contact us; youraccount may need to be updated.

Postmaster: Forward and Address Correction requested. Send address changes to Fabric Architecture,P.O. Box 469026 Escondido, CA 92046-9170.

Fabric Architecture inspires and educates read-ers about the benefits of fabric as an innovativeand sustainable building material.

Official publication of the Professional AwningManufacturers Association, the Banner, Flag &Graphics Association, and the LightweightStructures Association.

To subscribevisit www.fabricarchitecture.infoor call 800 225 4324 or +1 651 222 2508

With story ideascontact Bruce Wright, +1 651 225 6953, [email protected]

To advertisecontact Sarah Hyland, 800 319 [email protected] or visit www.ifai.com/publications

To order reprintscontact Russell Grimes, 800 385 9402, [email protected]

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IFAI1801 County Road B W. Roseville, MN 55113USA

+1 651 222 2508800 225 4324www.ifai.com

© 2005 Industrial Fabrics Association Internationalall rights reserved

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Environmentally pleasingPedestrians at the Glasgow Fort Retail Park

can take shelter beneath 300m of tensile fabric shadingthe walkway. Designed by Gloucestershire, U.K.-basedcompany, Fabric Architecture, the project employsSolarglass Weave, a silicone-coated glass fabric that isdesigned to increase the lifespan of the structure.


NewsNews

FTL does it again,and again

The DetroitTransportation Centerwill soon have a 15,420sq m permanent canopydesigned by FTL DesignEngineering Studio. Thearchitect of the center,Parsons Brinckerhoff,chose the company toshelter the bus drop-offsite that will alsoinclude drive-thoughaccess and loungeareas. Each of theseven bays is 33.5mlong and 15m wide,

raised skyward into a sharp peak. The front of the PTFE fabricstructure can also pull down, forming a wall from the ceiling.The center opens in 2006.

Charlottesville, Va., will open a seasonalmusic pavilion downtown May-September, covered in a PVC-coat-ed polyester canopy. Suspended below an arch, the roof ismotorized and post-tensioned along the perimeter. The rear con-nects to the stage house, while the front stretches to shelterthe seating area. During cooler months, the site serves as anurban park.

UK & US pavilions at World Expo 2005 JapanNature’s Wisdom is the theme of this year’s

World Expo in Aichi, Japan, and it is carried out in a vari-ety of ways. The U.K. Pavilion shows off innovative tech-nologies inspired by animals, plants and waves. Beesand honeycomb are cited as a source of strong and effi-cient structures. Seeds and pinecones, geckos andsharks all play a role in the development of the new prod-ucts. The look of the U.S. Pavilion (below) is beingdesigned by George P. Johnson Co., a global events-mar-keting powerhouse. At the heart of the design will beflags and film projections onto scrims, following thetheme “The Franklin Spirit,” that heralds BenjaminFranklin as a great American innovator.

Upcoming BP International projectsBP International has accepted several bookings to manufacture ShadeZone® shelter structures. Two

Tulsa Head Start schools ordered patio canopies, and Florida’s popular Gemini Springs Park will soon have play-ground shades. Other central Florida parks and school have also ordered playground and bleacher shades. Theproject manager for a Palm City municipal state park has contracted with BP for a unique L-shaped canopy thatwill connect a pyramid-shaped structure to the bleacher and waiting area shades. Florida Waterman Hospital, fea-tured in the July/August 2004 issue of FA, also chose ShadeZone® structures to shade their employee breakareas and child care play area. The new structures are designed to integrate with the existing fabric architecture.

FABRIC ARCHITECTURE

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BlobjectsThe exhibit Blobjects and Beyond: The New Fluidity in

Design at the San Jose Museum of Art showcases fluid formsfrom many design areas: products, furniture, graphics, media andarchitecture. The premise of the exhibit is that anthropomorphicforms have become the defining products of the millennium. TheRocket Tower at the National Space Center in Leicester, England isan example of blobby shapes in architecture. The 42m-high towerwas designed by Nicholas Grimshaw & Partners, and the exterioris covered in three-layer ETFE pillows. The exhibit also includessuch familiar objects as the iMac computer and Nike Triaz watch.Opens Saturday March 5 through July 10, 2005. For more information, contact: sjmusart.org/BlobjectsPrograms

Textile Roofs 2005The 10th International workshop on the

Design and Practical Realization of ArchitecturalMembrane Structures will be held in Berlin, May26–28, 2005. The workshop includes seminars oncomputational and physical modeling, project man-agement, detailing, connection design, fabrication,materials, and economic factors as well as casestudies. All lectures will be presented in English. For more information, contact www.textile-roofs.com.

News

South American tension structure symposiumIl Simposio LatinoAmericano will be held in

Caracas, Venezuela, May 4-6, 2005. Papers will be pre-sented on a variety of topics in fabric architecture by well-known architects and designers, including Horst Berger,Jose Ignacio Llorens and Aldo Capasso. For more information, contact www.arq.ucv.ve/idec/simposio.

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News

Fabric Structures 2005 explores fabric as a building material

Fabric Structures 2005 will be held Oct. 26–27 in SanAntonio, in conjunction with IFAI Expo 2005. The conference willfeature more than 20 continuing education programs highlight-ing the benefits of using fabric in architectural projects. Casestudies and breakout sessions will highlight design and engi-neering, technology, temporary vs. permanent structures, andnew materials. Presentations from internationally renownedarchitects will identify energy savings, mechanical features, aes-thetic effects, construction methods, sustainable design, shad-ing and lighting concepts, cost effectiveness and LEEDS certifi-cation opportunities of fabric in architectural design.

Fabric Structures 2005 is organized by the IndustrialFabrics Association International (IFAI), co-sponsored by FabricArchitecture magazine, and held in cooperation with theLightweight Structures Association and the Professional AwningManufactures Association, both divisions of IFAI. IFAI is a regis-tered provider of AIA CES Learning Units. An estimate 9.50 AIACES learning units will apply during Fabric Structures 2005.

For more information, contact Jill Rutledge, IFAI education,programs and certification manager: +1 651 225 6981, 800 225 4324,e-mail [email protected] or visit www.fabricarchitecture.info.

CorrectionJanuary/February 2005

The cover story (“The Gamekeepers”, pg.52) inadvertently misspelled an important projectteam member, Canvas Specialty, Los Angeles, Calif.,who also played a significant role in the developmentof the design of the fabric chess pieces. We regretthis oversight.

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The elementary-school performances at the amphithe-ater behind the Rice School are modest compared tothose at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. But thetwo venues share a common trait: a complex, high-techfabric roof.

The Rice School amphitheater, big enough to seata single class of elementary- or middle-school students, wasdesigned by 13 University of Houston architecture studentsenrolled in professor Patrick Peters’ design-build studioclass. For the last 14 years, every summer, the program hasoffered students the real-world experience of conceiving andconstructing a small structure for a local nonprofit group.

In 2001, the students considered four possiblesites at the Rice School, a public elementary school. Within the first three weeks of class, theyhad focused on the amphitheater, which was unused partly because it lacked shade. “It present-ed problems that had architectural solutions within the means we had available,” Peters explains.

The students presented a scheme to the school faculty at the beginning of May 2001. Aweek later they came back with a final design, revised according to the faculty’s suggestions. Thecollaboration thrilled Rice School principal Jocelyn Mouton. “Every time we met,” she says, “thestudents were taking notes and listening.”

By this time, the project had become unconventional. Overhead power lines hemmedin the site; underground pipes required a long span. Peters says they were left with no choice:“We didn’t start out to do a fabric project. But by the time we got to that point, there was almostno other solution.”

Having decided on fabric, the 13 University of Houston (UH) students began theirsearch for expert help at Hendee Enterprises, a Houston company. Hendee turns computer coor-dinates into patterns used to cut fabric sections, then stitches the sections and welds them intothree-dimensional shapes. “It’s a lot like making sails,” says company president Chuck Hendee.

Students at theUniversity of Houstonschool of architecturelearn the joys of fabric structure designand fabrication—first hand

Students at Rice Middle School, Houston, enjoythe shade of their new amphitheater shelter.

Creative tensionBy Christof Spieler

reportReport–Houston

Editor’s note: This article firstappeared in Cite: TheArchitecture and DesignReview of Houston (2002,No. 53, p. 9). Reprinted withpermission from The RiceDesign Alliance.

ALL PHOTOS: PATRICK PETERS

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Architects, of course,are rarely trained to make sails,and few attempt the tricky busi-ness. Hendee referred the stu-dents to fabric structure expertWilliam Murrell, owner of theNew Jersey-based consultingfirm Fabric Structures Inc.

Murrell, a math majorwho switched to architecture inhis junior year, launched hiscareer at a military think tank,where he designed portablebarracks; the idea was that aplane could carry an entireportable base. He found himselfdoing fabric extensions for air-craft hangars, then protective“bubble” enclosures for tenniscourts. The bubbles stay inflat-ed because fans keep the airpressure inside slightly higherthan the air pressure outside.(A similar system holds up theDetroit Silverdome.)

In the early 1980s,Murrell began exploring tensilestructures. Like “bubble” struc-tures, these are made of a lightfabric, but instead of air, mastsor arches support the tightlystretched fabric. The tensileforces created by stretching thefabric are much larger than anyother forces on the structure,including wind, rain and gravity.At every point on the fabric sur-face, the built-in tensile forcesare in equilibrium. That means

that at every point, the fabric must curve—and curve not in just one direction,but two. The forces inside the fabric dictate its form.

Architects, of course, usually work the other way around—with structurefollowing the architectural form—and the UH students were no exception. On aFriday in July they arrive at 4 p.m. in Murrell’s New Jersey office. By 8 p.m.,Murrell had concluded that the designs they’d brought were unworkable. “Thecable forces were immense,” he explains. “The columns were not in compressionbut in bending. What was wrong would be an interesting discussion.”

Soon, though, the students found the right shape. This computer-inten-sive process is the most complicated part of designing a tensile fabric structure.“We call it form-finding,” Murrell says, “and we treat it with some reverence. Wedon’t make the shape; we try to find the shape. It’s a mathematical procedure.Once you find the constraints, you try to find the inherent shape.”

The students’ amphitheater designs evolved into a pair of intersectingarches with the fabric stretched over them. That shape proved low enough toclear power lines, tall enough to satisfy the laws of gravity.

Back in Houston, in the lasttwo weeks of July, Hendee Enterpriseslaid out the fabric, a vinyl-coated poly-ester that Hendee predicts will last 10to 15 years. Cables run in sleeves atthe edges of the panels. At the cor-ners, those cables are attached to aplate, which is bolted to the arches.The UH students performed most ofthe labor, making patterns and cuttingthe fabric to shape. Hendee’s staffused radio-frequency welding to fusethe fabric pieces together.

The fabric was ready by theend of summer, but after fall classesbegan, work slowed to weekend ses-sions. A building permit was approvedthe first week of August, a month laterthan planned. Foundations came next;in September a crew from W. S.Bellows Construction lifted the steelinto place, pro bono. The students didthe welding.

At last, everything was readyfor the big moment. On November 17,2001, a Saturday morning, 900kg offabric were rolled out on a dolly.Ropes had been stretched across thesteel arches to cradle the fabric. Some

Report–Houston

Steel arches are lifted into place by professional crews asstudents watched and then welded joints.

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of the UH students unfurled thefabric; others pulled it over theframe with ropes. Nobody there hadever raised a fabric roof before.

The fabric now drapedover the arches, wrinkled like laun-dry, awaiting the tension that wouldsnap it into place. At each corner,the fabric was bolted to a sleeve thatslid over the steel pipe supports.Students hand-tightened a pair of1,800kg comealongs at each supportto pull the sleeves down and stretchthe fabric.

As Peters watched, thecanopy’s saddle curve emerged.

“That was the first moment that fabric had a quality of being more than hung,”he says. “It became something altogether different.”

Christof Spieler is an architect/writer based in Louisiana.

Project dataClient: Rice School/Escuela Rice Amphitheater, HoustonDesign: The Graduate Design/Build Studio, Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture,University of Houston

Faculty advisors: Patrick Peters, director; GregBruegger, Donna Kacmar, Peter Noldt, facultyStudents: Michael Drez, Sally Joyce, KevinMacPherson, Kate Mejia, Meeta Morrison,Chula Ross Sanchez, Brad Schubert, Ser-LinThe, Lucia Tschen, Marianna Urrutia, JudyWalker, Jerry Wiesner, Bill WootonContributors: Walter P. Moore & Assoc. and Gabriel Garza, P.E., structural engineers;Fabric Structures Inc., tensile fabric consult-ants; Hendee Enterprises Inc., fabric fabrica-tion; Tolunay-Wong Engineers, geotechnicalengineers; Ferrari Textile Corp., fabric suppli-ers; Russ & Pape Surveying Co. Inc., survey-ors; Rice Design Alliance; HoustonArchitectural Foundation; United GalvanizingInc., galvanizers; A&E Products Co. Inc.;Betco Scaffolds; Blueline Construction Inc.;Reliant Energy; San Jacinto Stone; TaftArchitects; Phillystrand Inc., Kevlar cable suppliers; Quantum Sail Design Group; Joe Colaco, PE, PhD; S. L. Anderson Ltd.,urban forester; Webb Architects; UHComputer Design Center; UH Modeling & Simulation Lab

Report–Houston

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Most churches grow haphazardly over the course of several years, subject to the whims ofthe collection plate and changing theological doctrine. Building additions can stick out likesore thumbs. But Hope Presbyterian Church’s accelerated growth was written into the planfrom the get go. Although it’s undergone four major additions since 1996, when it openedits doors at its present location in Cordova, Tenn., the changes to the 18,900 sq. m com-pound look seamless and inevitable—clearly the hand of a creator at work!

Hope follows the formula of the megachurch, which is to say that itshatters the stereotype of regular churches. It typically houses more than6,000 parishioners each Sunday in its two-sided, “two-way” worship center andsucceeds by offering congregants the unexpected; from Christian rock CDkiosks to coffee bars to a 360 sq. m, state-of-the-art recording studio. The goal,it seems, is to make church relevant and acceptable to the modern personturned off by traditional religion. “Our whole purpose here, our single focus,is to have a church for the ‘un-churched’,” says assistant pastor Bob Russell.

The design of the sanctuary and church grounds contribute to theoverall effect. The pastor sermonizes from the center of the chapel; visitors sitdiagonally on either side of the pulpit. The impression is awe-inspiring and alittle odd, for you can’t help but wonder at the “other parishioners,” the oneson the opposite side of the pulpit, worshiping just like you are, but apart fromyou spatially.

Part of the effort involved in attracting newcomers lies in creating anunusual outdoor space that creates major impact from the road. “If we haddesigned this outside structure to look like a church, we would not be speak-ing to our targets,” says Russell. “In a lot of respects, it is designed not to looklike a church.”

Set back on a 30ha tract of land on which a manmade lake and natu-ral wetlands coexist peacefully, the building is decidedly contemporary—butnot jarringly so. The architecture is angular and assured but done in earthtones so that the overall effect is soothing. There’s plenty of glass, whichallows nature to penetrate while keeping the weather at bay. Geometricshapes, like the triangular roof that peaks at the church spire, call to mindthe sacred geometries.

In the heart of suburban Memphissits an evolvingchurch experiment—complete with fabricstructures that canchange with thechanging times

A megachurch in Memphis: HopePresbyterian springs external.

The fabric of a religious community

shadeShade

By Betsy Taylor

ALL PHOTOS: MIKE BROWN

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The fabric structures thatlimn the edges of Hope Chapel on thechurch’s southwestern side are noth-ing if not versatile. From a distance,they look like awnings. Up close,they’re massive and more complex,both structurally and functionally.These fabric structures do fulfill or,with minor adjustments to the sur-rounding landscape, could fulfill avariety of needs: prayer garden, walk-way, amphitheatre, carport. As itstands now, the four separate fabricoverhangs function as a unit, provid-ing outdoor shelter from one churchentrance to the next. “We wanted toprovide quiet areas around the chapelwith shade, so members of the congre-gation could come and think after thesermon,” says architect Gary Gibson ofFleming Architects in Memphis.

Slightly lighter than thebrown brick building from which theyprotract, the series of rectangularbeige fabric structures made fromJohn Boyle’s opaque Patio 500 fabricadds richness to a monochromaticcolor palette. Despite their earthtones, the fabric bands resemble noth-ing so much as sunbeams radiatingfrom the chapel.

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Although the builders aspiredto create a structure that departs fromthe architectural symbolism of tradition-al churches, the fabric structures actual-ly reinforce some of this religious sym-bology. From certain angles, the radiat-ing fabric structures resemble the flyingbuttresses of gothic architecture. Theflying buttress provided a physicalmeans to introduce light into gloom ofearly Christian architecture. Similarly,the fabric structures, with their sun-beam shape, symbolically incorporatelight into the chapel building.Functionally, they shelter a wide, circu-lar perambulatory, helping to defineareas for meditation and conversation.Perhaps it is appropriate that duringthe Dark Ages, architects strove to bringlight into their places of worship.Today, in our information age, we wantour churches to provide a place of quietreflection and real human interaction.

The fabric panels are sup-ported by a substructure of 50.8 by50.8mm steel tubing with additionalsupport provided by 25.4 by 25.4mmaluminum tubing. This grillwork sup-

Shade

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port beneath the panels ensures the fab-ric, which is tied down like a traditionalawning, lays flat.

Although it hasn’t been usedyet for this purpose, the fabric structuresare designed acoustically to be adaptedquickly into an amphitheatre with theaddition of chairs.

Betsy Taylor, a regular contributor to FabricArchitecture, is based in Memphis, Tenn.

Project dataArchitect: Fleming ArchitectsFabricator: Parasol Awnings, Memphis, Tenn.Contractor: Montgomery Martin Contractors

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Who invented the fabric air duct? Several companies like to say the innovation was theirs. Toa degree, they’re all correct. Fabric air diffuser systems were created independently for differ-ent industries at different times. That has led to a vibrant, diverse industry. But everyone stillhas a “how it began” story to tell.

Michael Harvey, vice president and general manager at The Flexaust Co. Inc., Warsaw,Ind., notes that in 1938, Arizona mining engineer Harold Hersey developed a flexible fabric hosesystem to vent fumes and bring fresh air to miners.

Chuck Vittorio, vice president of FOF Products Inc., Delavan, Wisc., says that 50 years ago,greenhouse owners started using clear perforated polyethylene film ducts, about four mils thick, tosupply fresh air to plants. “It had to be clear because you didn’t want to shadow the plants,” he says.“Plants put off carbon dioxide, and there had to be a way to present oxygen back into the place.And because fabric ducts don’t rust or corrode, they became popular for other applications too.”

Air-quality issues in European meatpacking plants presented yet another opportunityfor innovation. Brian Refsgaard, president of FabricAir Inc., Chicago, says FabricAir’s Denmark-based parent company developed fabric air ducts in conjunction with the Danish Meat Institutein 1973. “They had to take in some very cold air in the processing facilities, but that created alot of draft,” he explains. “Because of that draft, they had a high incidence of sick leave. That’swhy someone came up with the idea of bringing the air in through a fabric duct. That was theinitial product idea.”

Fabric duct systems provide an adaptable, cheap alternative to metal

Fresh-air

sustainableSustainable design

By Jamie Swedberg

The David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, Penn., features fabric airducts and shade blinds.

DU

CTS

OX

©

Note: The ICC has developed a comprehensive standard forfabric ducts called “AC-167:Acceptance Criteria for FabricAir Dispersion System.”

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A new alternativeEver since fabric air ducts were

introduced for these applications,they’ve slowly but surely won converts.Most manufacturers agree that the driv-ing force is cost. Vittorio says thatdepending on the sheet metal manufac-turer, his company’s vents usually cost 60to 70 percent less than the metal version.

Refsgaard’s company makeshigh-end fabric duct systems, yet he saysthe same holds true. “Even if you look atour most expensive solution, with thepolyester Trevira fabric and the best flowpattern you can get, and absolutely nonoise, no draft, nothing, you are still at50 percent of the cost of a sheet metalsystem,” he says. He adds that the lifespan of a polyester ductwork system, ateight to 20 years, is comparable to thatof a sheet metal system, which usuallybegins to corrode after its first decade.

Will Linnemeier, vice presi-dent of ventilation products at ABCIndustries Inc., Warsaw, Ind., says themining industry is especially sensitive tocost when it comes to ductwork. “Youusually ventilate when you are drilling,and then when you blast, you turn offthe fans so that the concussion doesn’tcome back,” he says. “Even so, the duct-ing a lot of times will get blown apart. Ifthat happens, it’s a lot less expensive toreplace a fabric duct than it is toreplace, say, a fiberglass duct.”

Some buildings are ill-suited totraditional metal ductwork. FOF Productsinstalled a mile and a half of ductwork atthe Henry Ford Museum and GreenfieldVillage, a Dearborn, Mich., historicalmuseum and living-history site.

“They had the buildingdesigned for the snow load and that kindof thing, but not the weight of sheetmetal [ducts],” Vittorio relates. “Costdidn’t make a whole lot of difference.But the EPA came in and said ‘You musthave fresh air in this building, becausethere is no fresh air.’ And it would havecost them $5 or 6 million just to supportthe sheet metal ducts. Each of the 17aisles has a 122cm diameter, 122m-longduct that weighs about 180kg (400 lbs.)in fabric. It would have weighed thou-sands of pounds in sheet metal.”

Fabric ducts are also quieterthan their metal counterparts, says BobFinch, marketing coordinator atSoper’s, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

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“When you’re talking about gymnasi-ums or institutions such as lecture halls,the quieter the better,” he says. Thereare certain applications where the quali-ty of the air makes metal ducts a poorchoice. “In battery plants and that sortof thing, steel ducts are under an awfullot of corrosion,” says Jim Ward, ownerof Ward’s Awning Co., an Anderson,Ind.-based wall-pad and awning compa-ny that makes fabric ducts for engineer-ing and mechanical clients. “Our fire-retardant polyethylene fabric ductswork out much, much better in thosesituations. It’s chemical resistant. Thebiggest problem is providing a threadthat’s got a lot of life to it. We’re stick-ing primarily with polyester.”

FOF and FabricAir both sell alot of fabric ductwork for swimming poolareas, where the chlorine in the air eatsaway sheet metal ducts in record time.“In the U.S., it’s one of our biggest seg-ments,” Refsgaard says. “We’ve done anumber of YMCAs across the U.S. withfabric ducting. If you look at the lifespan of a fabric duct compared to asheet metal duct, you would have athree or four times longer life span on afabric duct in a swimming pool area.And at the same time, your investmentwas only half.”

Sometimes it’s simply easier toinstall fabric ducts. Linnemeier says if awarehouse changes its layout, it’s faster

An ABC Industries’ fabric duct installation in Mexicoutilized strong fabric to handle high air pressures.

ABC

Ind

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and simpler to move fabric ducts than it would be to reroute metal ones. It’s a loteasier to snake fabric through a mine than it is to install rigid ducts, too.

In a recent installation in a Mexico manufacturing plant, ABC Industriessaw another benefit of using a tough yet flexible product. Its 610g ripstop PVC lam-inate (made extra-tough to deal with the factory’s high-pressure air handling sys-tem) meant that factory workers didn’t have to worry quite so much about theensuing destruction if they hit a low-hanging duct with a forklift. And it was saferfor the people, too.

Finally, the cleaner air that was important to those early-1970s Danish meat-packers is even more important today. Well-maintained permeable fabric air ducts,where the air is actually pushed through the walls of the duct, are the solution.

“One of the benefits that you have with a fabric duct is that it’s washable,”Refsgaard says. “It’s a huge benefit when it comes to allergic reactions caused byHVAC systems. In conventional HVAC systems, you would see a big layer of dustinside the duct system. By using fabric ducts, you can easily maintain your system andkeep it 100-percent clean.”

Both Refsgaard and Vittorio note that so far it has been difficult to convinceAmerican companies to clean their duct systems as often as they should. But overtime, as sick building syndrome continues to be an issue, more and more companiesmay make the necessary commitment and turn to fabric air ducts as a solution.

Different approachesThere are as many approaches to constructing fabric ducts as there are

reasons to construct them. A few types of industrial and mining ducts are supportedby wire spirals; most are “layflat” ducts that inflate via air pressure. Then there arethe air-delivery solutions. Some ducts are made of permeable woven polyethylene orpolyester fabrics, which allow the air to filter slowly through the weave. Some haveadditional screened openings to bring fresh air to specific sites. Less permeable orimpermeable fabric ducts (such as those made of polyethylene-coated scrim or PVClaminate) tend to have holes punched in them at intervals.

All duct fabrics have to be fire-retardant, but there the similarity ends.Linnemeier swears by PVC laminates for a variety of reasons. First of all, ABCIndustries manufactures these fabrics, so the material is easily and cheaply available.Second, PVC is tough and washable enough to withstand permanent or rental appli-cations, and various coatings can give it additional characteristics.

“With our laminates that we use, our most popular product, the fabricmeets California Fire Marshal code approval,” he points out. “We also put mold andmildew inhibitors in the product. You can’t stop mold and mildew, but you can dothings to the product to help impede the growth of mold.”

FOF makes ducts out of polyester, coated polyethylene and polyester, sili-cone-coated fiberglass, or vinyl, depending on the customer. Vittorio says PVC is easyto color. On the other hand, polyethylene is incredibly chemical-resistant, even inbattery plants where it is splashed with pure sulfuric acid. Silicone-coated fiberglassis a specialized fabric for high-heat applications.

FabricAir makes its ducts only out of specially engineered polyester fibers.Refsgaard feels that woven polyester is best for high-visibility commercial applications,as opposed to the heavy-industrial applications where polyethylene film ductwork issometimes used.

“You never see condensation on a woven fabric duct like you do on apolyduct,” he says. “Secondly, you have a fabric you can dye any color you like. It isbetter looking, more durable, higher quality. With woven polyester, you have a mar-ket where the architect becomes part of the decision-making. The indoor environ-ment and the aesthetics are a much a higher priority than they used to be.”

Most fabric ducts are sewn, simply because the fabrics used can’t be heat-sealed. Some manufacturers also don’t completely trust the integrity of sealed seamsin high-stress permanent installations. However, ABC Industries sometimes heat-sealsits PVC ducts, depending on the size and timeframe of the project.

For situations where appearance matters, Refsgaard says rail systems arethe best-looking installation solution. “We hang an aluminum rail system from the

Sustainable design

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ceiling, supported by either aluminum rodsor stainless steel rods,” he explains. “As aprice-competitive alternative, you can usecable systems.”

That’s what most manufacturersdo. In industrial settings, fabric air-handlingsystems are installed with steel cables, turn-buckles, eyebolts, and/or hooks—“lots ofTinkertoy stuff,” in Vittorio’s words. Thehooks attach to grommets in the body of thefabric. Hose clamps attach the duct to thesheet metal opening of the air handler.Basically, installers use any kind of hardwarethat’ll do the job.

Go with the flowBecause fabric air duct manufac-

turers started out serving specific nicheindustries, they still tend to focus their mar-keting efforts on the customers they knowbest. But they’re branching out.

Fabric air ducts have capturedless than one percent of the air-handlingmarket in the United States. Vittorio speculates that the influence of the sheetmetal workers’ union may be part of the reason. Another, perhaps, is that customers specify what they’re used to and don’t want to experiment with new products.

That may change thanks to the design-and-build philosophy that’s so prominent in the building trade today.

Sustainabledesign

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“The contractor is given a job to build abuilding for a functional use, rather thana specification,” Vittorio explains. “Youcan build it any way you want to, as longas it will do what the customer wants it to do. And so the contractor has theoption of using fabric or sheet metal or whatever.”

Flexaust’s Michael Harvey esti-mates the current U.S. market at $100million. But that figure is said to be grow-ing by leaps and bounds every year (40percent last year, according toRefsgaard’s figures). Linnemeier suspectsthat it’s because manufacturing, industri-al and commercial facilities are lookingfor cheaper, easier, and more flexiblemethods of air distribution.

As the market expands, moreand more industrial fabric shops will like-ly get in on the action. Ward’s AwningCo. started manufacturing fabric ductsbecause, as owner Jim Ward says, “Youkind of take what walks in the door.” Butsoon, thanks to word of mouth, the com-pany ended up making the ducts for sev-eral clients.

Jamie Swedberg is a freelance writer based inthe Athens, Ga., area. She is a frequent contrib-utor to Fabric Architecture.

Fabric air ducts are especially useful in food processing/refrigeration facilities.


FABR

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More than ever, modern sculpture has become concerned withusing architectural materials as a means of exploring space andsurface. British sculptor Diana Edmunds has recently completeda commission in Earl’s Court, London that started life as a studyof leaf forms, and evolved into a dramatic new interpretation oftensile architecture.

Edmunds’ blood-red sculpture strikes a strong visual con-trast with the silvery-grey louvered facade of the Empress tower thatstands behind. It is evident that her work is able to hold its ownagainst this 30-storey backdrop, and indeed both forms appearalmost co-dependent for their success. Edmunds started by making aseries of small-scale study models, developing a pair of overlappingleaf-like forms that were pierced and supported by long reeds placedin a seemingly random manner. Her intention was that the variouselements would appear to have been delicately assembled and placedlightly on the ground. Although the sculpture was always anticipatedas being architectural in scale, her wish was to retain the essence ofdelicacy and movement evident in her development work.

Having established her concept, Edmunds worked with ateam of consultants, comprising architects Wilkinson Eyre, structuralengineers Arup and tensile structure specialists Architen Landrell todevise a way of interpreting and building her design. The challengefor Architen Landrell was to develop a viable solution that respected

British sculptorDiana Edmunds converts anephemeral leaf/treeconcept into fabricreality

Seeing red and liking it: a bold sculpture isdesigned for Earl’s Court, London.

Artistic license

artArt

By Martin Hall

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Edmunds’ freeform models and yetprovided a stable structure.

During a series of design work-shops, it became clear that the best wayto ensure a high quality finish would beto assemble the wings and tension theirmembrane skins at ground level in acontrolled off-site environment. Thisdecision then unlocked the basis of thedesign, and also determined the maxi-mum dimensions of the pre-fabricatedelements that needed to be transportedby road to the site. The 15.24m-longwings were given a 305mm diameterspine to enable them to provide structur-al stiffness, and the location of the legswas developed to coincide with structur-al ribs placed at irregular intervals alongthe length of the sculpture. The intersec-tions of the wing and legs were madeinto stiffened structural nodes that pro-vided the sculpture with its overall rigidi-ty. The ribs were tapered to enable thewing edges to be kept slender.

Architen Landrell’s construction sequence required the lower half ofthe masts to be fixed to the ground in their predetermined locations with totalaccuracy. The wings were then craned into position, which allowed the collarednodes to ease onto the sleeved masts. Once rigidly connected, the upper mastswere then slid into position, completing the illusion of the masts piercing thefabric. Finally, cast resin light fittings were incorporated into the chamferedmast heads to provide even glowing tips.

It is probably true to say that an architect or engineer would neverhave designed this project in the form devised by Diana Edmunds. The mantrasof construction design to rationalize geometry, simplify details and generallyalign elements would inevitably have resulted in a scheme that placed fewerpressures on 3D computing, mind-boggling fabrication and zero-room-for-errorconstruction techniques. It is through such arduous work that the structure hasretained so much of the vitality that Edmunds recognized in her models andremained determined to see built.

Martin Hall is the architectural principal of Architen Landrell Ltd, Chepstow, United Kingdom.

Project dataClient: Empress Tower, Earl’s Court, LondonArchitect: Wilkinson EyreStructural engineer: ArupFabrication: Architen LandrellFabric: Ferrari Précontraint, custom red

PHOTOS: ARCHITEN LANDRELL

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Fabric membranes have long had applications in structures designed for leisure and recre-ation. Professional athletes often play under durable membrane domes while thousands lookon without a care to the weather. “Jumping castles” or “bouncy rides” provide a place forsmaller athletes to play on top of a fabric membrane. In Hokkaido, Japan the fanciful Fuwa-Fuwa Domes of Mannoh Park re-conceptualize the bouncy ride on an entirely different scale.

Fuwa Fuwa, the Japanese word for “fluffy,” aptly describes the soft, billowing land-scape of the park and its featured attraction. Takano Landscape Planning incorporatedProfessor Shiro Takahashi’s original dome design into the park to promote children’s physicaldevelopment. From children’s perspectives, however, it’s less about physical development andmore about leaping through a nebulous landscape like their favorite video game characters.Unlike normal playgrounds, the Fuwa-Fuwa domes allow children to safely explore new verticaldimensions at play. Unlike the video game worlds they resemble, the domes provide a healthyoutlet for children’s physical energy.

Airy and vast in appearance, the domes are also meant to make a light impression onthe environment. The two domes, 550 sq. m and 140 sq. m respectively, leave less of an envi-ronmental footprint than a similarly-sized asphalt or concrete playground. The contour of thestructures also mimics the rolling hills of Mannoh Park.

While the domes are, in fact, mostly air, an ingenious fabric structure gives themshape and rigidity. Based upon a layer of fabric on the ground, a pressurized two-layer mem-brane supports the dome-shape of the structures and all who venture upon them. Workingwith Ogawatec Corp., Taiyo Kogyo Corp. produced the two layer domes using Teijin TechnoProducts fabrics. Air blowers supply the inner layer with a constant supply of air via under-ground piping. Additional load upon the structures, supplied by the bouncing children, isaccommodated by discharge of air through outlets in the fabric. In this way, pressure in thedomes stays at a constant level.

The smaller of the two domes is outfitted with a sunshade to offer UV protection tochildren on the dome and parents around it and those to can‘t resist to climb aboard. Thephotocatalytic membrane of the shade also provides some protection from the occasionallyharsh Hokkaido weather.

Christorpher Carlson writes frequently about design and architecture from Memphis, Tenn.

A jumping castle on a cloud

landscapeLandscape

This unusuallandscaped parkuses the sophis-ticated technolo-gy of tensilestructures toplay it safe

By Christopher Carlson

Constant air pressure keeps the billowing landscaped mounds full of bounce.

ALL PHOTOS: TAIYO KOGYO CORP.

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Project dataClient: Mannoh Park, Hokkaido, JapanLandscape architect: Takano Landscape PlanningFabrication: Taiyo Kogyo Corp. with Ogawatec Co.Fabric: TH-30G-A from Teijin Techno Products Ltd.(dome); PTFE titanium dioxide photocatalytic membranefrom Chukoh Chemical Industries Ltd. (canopy)

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When you think of Switzerland, thoughts of cheese, Heidi, the Alps, and chocolatemay come to mind. In fact, Nestlé—known for its familiar household brands suchas Nestea, Carnation, Butterfinger, Kit Kat, and Toll House—is headquartered inVevey, Switzerland. In May 2003, to celebrate the Nestlé Market Head Conference,the company partnered with the Swiss exhibition design company Messerli-Bauand Transformit of Gorham, Maine, to create a showroom and exhibition that wel-comed visitors to the company’s headquarters and proudly illustrated the corpora-tion’s initiative in incorporating food, nutrition and health into their future.

Founded in Switzerland in 1867, Nestlé has a strong presence in the global foodmarket. The corporation’s solid brand has experienced continuous evolution over theyears, and the corporate designers at Nestlé envisioned an exhibition that illustrated thecompany’s goal of becoming a “well-being company” in the future.

According to Carsten Nadler, project manager at Messerli-Bau, the client envi-soned a wide, red, aluminum “ribbon” that ushered visitors and employees through the

The exhibit’s clean design does not distractvisitors from the company’s message.

The business of design

By Maura Keller

ALL PHOTOS: TRANSFORMIT

An award-winning exhibit uses fabric to conveyNestlés message for the future

interiorsInteriors

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To S u b s c r i b e :C o n t a c t : S u s a n S m e e dA s s i s t a n t C i r c u l a t i o n M a n a g e r+ 1 6 5 1 2 2 2 2 5 0 88 0 0 2 2 5 4 3 2 4s u b s c r i p t i o n s @ i f a i . c o m

To A d v e r t i s e :C o n t a c t : S a r a h H y l a n dA d v e r t i s i n g D i r e c t o r+ 1 6 5 1 2 2 5 6 9 5 08 0 0 3 1 9 3 3 4 9s c h y l a n d @ i f a i . c o m

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• 10,000 circulation• 6 issues per year, including the Product Profi les and Directory, the AIA show issue, and a sourcebook• Since 1988

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space into the areas where the company’s new vision was described. The almost54.8m long aluminum ribbon, which was lacquered on both sides, created a starkcontrast to the milky white space and acted as a thread by which the exhibition’sthemes were connected. As a result of the simple, yet engaging design, the visi-tors were able to focus on the content and key messages in the display.

The eye candy “really created a strong visual presence for visitors,” Nadlersays. “It was quite powerful.”

Project dimensionIn addition to the visually strong red aluminum ribbon trailing through

the structure, the corporate design team at Nestlé requested the use of eight

tension fabric structures in the space.The designers recognized that fabricstructures offer advantages in terms ofcost, ease of construction, unobstructedspace, unshadowed light, and uniqueforms. Messerli contacted Transformit, atension-fabric structure design, manufac-turing, and rental company to design andconstruct the fabric structures.Transformit works with special event pro-ducers, exhibit designers, and architectsas well as the in-store display, interiordesign and trade show industries. Thesoft curving fabric surfaces integrated inthe Nestlé showroom were used to illus-trate the Nestlé story with digitallyapplied images and graphics.

According to Lina Newhouser,European program director atTransformit, the fabric structures consist-ed of one 2.4m by 203cm diameter cylin-der with digitally printed images and onethree-dimensional wall structure (approxi-mately 297- by- 396- by 94cm) that wasframed at the bottom but free formed attop. This structure included a layer ofmesh and a layer of non-mesh with digi-tally printed images. Transformit also cre-ated six wall sections, each measuringapproximately 254cm high by 203cmwide. These sections were also framed atthe floor, free formed at the top, andincluded non-mesh materials with digital-ly printed images. The material used onthese eight structures included Stretch2001 and Stretch 2002 mesh manufac-tured by GVW Interieur of Germany.

“We used three different fab-rics—a rigid [light block], a stretch mesh,and a stretch woven—to create a hybridstructure,” Newhouser says. “Each struc-ture had a partial frame to hold the sideand base shapes and provide an anchorwhile the top edge was rigged like a‘wing’ to keep the structure visually lightand clean. Patterning was a combinationof computer-generated surfaces used withfinal hand edits during live patterning.The graphics were printed with a dye sub-limation process.”

Time managementBecause the exhibit was

designed by Nestlé, managed and pro-duced by Messerli, with elements fabricat-ed by Transformit, there were certainchallenges that arose. “We really only hadsix weeks from first contact to projectcompletion,” Nadler says. “That was toughbut manageable.” As Newhouser explains,

The exhibit designers’ use of both translucent and opaque fabrics add visual and textural interest to the display.

Design

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one key production challenge experi-enced by Transformit included filetransfers of the graphics. “The graphicsstemmed from text graphics sent as livefonts instead of vector art (curves oroutlines). What’s more, [we had tomake] conversions across platformsfrom Mac to PC.”

Described by many as arefreshing change from the dryness oftraditional corporate exhibition design,the Nestlé showroom—along with thedesigners and manufacturersinvolved—received praise throughoutthe design world. In fact, the Nestléshowroom was selected as a merit win-ner in HOW magazine’s 2003International Design Competition.

While the weaving red ribbonand three-dimensional fabric structuresestablished solid design elementsthroughout the exhibition, Nestlé tookthe design one step further—using theconcept to illustrate how the exhibitiondesign is reminiscent of the food man-ufacturer’s flexible business strategyand evolving philosophy. In the case ofthe Nestlé exhibition, it seems thatdesign and strategy go hand in hand.

Maura Keller is a freelance writer based inPlymouth, Minn.

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continuingContinuing education

This New England seniors center neededto reduce solar gain and glare, but onlyfor the peak summer season.Retractable shades were the solution.

It is a verifiable fact that the cooling and heating load of a typical residence isalmost half the average family’s annual energy bill. Equally true, is the fact thatmore buildings are being built with better insulation than ever before while at thesame time, those buildings contain more people, more computers, more informa-tion technology and other equipment—all contributing to ever-greater internalheat gains that can have detrimental effect on comfort and productivity—not tomention the environment.

Several years ago, the State of California underwent a power crisis, and in 2003the northeastern power grid went down in a cascade of circuit failures. This only serves tobring home several important points: that while building new power plants can take up tothree years to build, renewable energy and efficiency can offer solutions now. And theserenewables and energy efficiencies provide four values that new, big power plants cannot:they cut energy use, they provide more flexibility to customers in response to changingprices, they offer predictable financial requirements, and they benefit the environment.

The United Kingdom’s Building Research Establishment (BRE) recently con-demned architects for designing too many “climate rejecting” constructions which canworsen local microclimates. “Sealed, air-conditioned and deep-plan buildings with tint-ed glass that cut out solar gain and daylight are unsuitable for urban development,”they claim. Not surprisingly, their research shows that air conditioning results in extrathermal emissions to a building’s surroundings, that mirrored glass reflects solar heatand glare back into the immediate environment, and that large, bulky developmentsovershadow neighboring buildings and create hostile wind effects.

To mitigate these negative effects, researchers have found several methods thatcan be used in standard practice, including designing a building to allow adequate solar

Shading for sustainableadvantage

By Bruce N. Wright

A natural way ofcooling buildingsand spacesusing fabrics

EVAN

FAB

RIC

ATIO

N

AIA/FabricArchitectureContinuing EducationTo earn one AIA/CESLearning Unit, read thisarticle and answer the

questions on page 44. Then follow theinstructions for reporting.

Learning objectivesAfter reading the article you should be able to:• List how exterior shading is different

than interior shading• Describe how solar radiation

transfers heat to a building• List the benefits of using fabric

sunscreens

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heat gain at appropriate times, careful-ly calibrated daylighting and, in warmerclimates, designing to promote passivecooling.

The BRE estimates that thecost of air conditioning and coolingincreases 6.5 percent every year andthe American Society of Heating andAir-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)estimate that approximately 20 per-cent of the load of AC in a typicalbuilding is caused by solar radiationthrough glass.

Giving these facts, it’s surpris-ing that shading design is still anafterthought in most building designin this country. Shading structures,such as awnings, canopies and solarscreens can drastically cut costs incooling and, in some instances, cutcosts in heating.

Why protect against the sun?Studies by ASHRAE show that

when the sun shines directly on south-facing windows, fabric awnings reduceheat gain by 55 to 65 percent. For west-ern exposures, the reduction in heatgain is 72 to 77 percent. Consequently,interior temperatures may be loweredas much as 8˚ F to 15˚ F. Tests per-formed by a French shade fabric man-ufacturer support the premise thatexterior shades provide superior solarprotection compared to interior-mounted screens.

The physics of shading mayhelp to explain why this conclusion istrue. There are three types of rays thatare emitted from the sun that producea negative reaction in buildings: • Visible rays that can impair vision, • Ultra-violet (UV) rays which cancause colors to fade, and • Infrared rays which increase the tem-perature of interior surface materialsby passing through window glass.

It’s also important to keep inmind the kind of energy transferredand where it is transferred when sun-light strikes a façade. Radiation energy isa short wave; convection energy is a longwave. A window’s glass can stop thelong convection energy waves, but notthe short radiation waves. Both exteri-or and interior sunscreens stop theshort waves; but the interior shade

doesn’t accomplish this until after the waves have already passed through theglass into the building.

Both interior and exterior screens absorb radiation energy until thescreens become hot. Then, the energy is converted to convection energy, which isa long wave. Remember, the window glass stops long waves, so convection energyfrom an exterior shade will be released outside. Convection energy from the inte-rior screen, however, is released inside, making the room warmer.

Thus, sunscreens reduce temperatures if placed on the correct side ofglazing and can protect furnishings from fading in both exterior and interior posi-tions. Intelligent façades that respond to the time of year and prevailing weatherconditions must include shading systems that mitigate solar heat gain in all cases.

WindowsIn recent years, many window manufacturers have greatly expanded the

selection of energy efficient and attractive windows, but for many years theirfocus has been on cold northern climates. Part of the new window technologyhas been centered on the so-called “low-e coatings” that offer greater insulationof a building’s interior spaces from cold outside air temps. These coatings areapplied to one of the interior glass surfaces and work by reducing the emission oflong-wave length infrared radiation from the warmer interior pane of glass, or byreflecting that radiation from the outer pane back to the inner pane.

The results are a reduction of heat loss from the warm interior to the coldexterior on cold winter nights. These types of windows are excellent at admittingsolar heat while preventing its escape back outside. This is ideal for cold, northern

This Las Vegas outlet center benefits from the cooling effect of permanent fixed shading over the outdoor publicspaces between buildings.

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climates like the Upper Midwest. But they can be disastrous in terms of comfort ifthey are allowed to face the sun fully during warmer months when solar heat gain isat its maximum. And in Sunbelt locations, they are absolutely the wrong type of win-dow for most of the year. When these windows face east or west and are unshaded,even in northern climates, they are excellent at capturing the heat of the earlymorning or late afternoon sun and trapping it inside, making AC loads soar. (Thereare some newer glass coatings designed for hot southern climes called “spectralselectivity” that attempt to mitigate this effect, but their efficacy is still not optimal.)

Florida Solar Energy Center scientists and engineers have found thatwhat makes the most sense in dealing with these problems is to put money intoblocking solar heat gain, rather than purchasing insulated, low-e windows.

And several scientific studies have shown that on average, awnings canreduce air-conditioning costs by up to 23 percent.

Continuing education

Fixed shading: A tensioned fabric awning provides both natural reflected lighting and cooling effects to this New Mexico residence, where the sunlight at 7,000 ft. elevationcan be very harsh.

Both exterior and interior screens stop the short waves of solar radiation, but the interior shade doesn’t accom-plish this until after the waves have already passed through the glass into the building.

Here is a simple formula fordetermining the savings in air-condi-tioning costs with the use of awningsor shade structures:• Cost per hour of operation

X the number of hours used per monthX the number of months used per year= total estimated air-conditioning bill.

• 23% X total AC bill = amount of money saved per year.

• An awning’s purchase price ÷ the amount of money saved / year= the awning’s simple payback

period in years.

Methods of shadingAlthough shading the whole

building is beneficial, shading thebuilding’s windows is absolutely cru-cial. The need for shading sometimesconflicts with the demand for daylight-ing, but fortunately, when solar energyis brought into a building in a con-trolled way, it can supply high-qualitylighting as well as reduce heat gain.

In Europe, most homes andbusinesses have some type of exteriorshading device. Exterior shading mayrefer to a variety of systems, oftenincluding retractable awnings, rolling

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shutters, and sunscreens. But in NorthAmerica, interior shading systems tendto appear more frequently, althoughthey are not as effective as exteriorshading in reducing heat gain andenergy costs.

One reason for these differ-ences between the two continents’shading preferences is that the U.S.market selects its shading systemsaccording to cost, appearance, practi-cality, and function—in that order.However, sunscreens of all types aremore familiar to southerners,although the systems can help innorthern climates by retaining heatinside the building and by moderatingthe heat gain that comes from lowerlight sources and reflections off snow.

Shading systems can be fixedor movable; movable systems can beinstalled with hand- or power-operatedcontrols. Increasingly, they also arehooked into computer-guided remotecontrols that open or close the screensdepending on the time of day, weatherconditions or other factors. Fabricscreening comes in many colors tomatch interior or exterior décor, andcan be cleaned using soap and water.

Exterior shading devicesAn exterior sunscreen is won-

derful sun protection. Depending onthe openness factor of the mesh, theshading factor in a sunscreen variesfrom 70 to 95 percent. And screenswork to block the heat while still per-mitting a good view to the outside. Onaverage, a screen has a lifetime of 10 to20 years. PVC-coated fiberglass is themost commonly used material forscreens because it is dimensionally sta-ble, inherently flame resistant, andnontoxic. The PVC coating, which basi-cally adds color, offers UV resistanceand colorfastness. Many sunscreens aredark in color to absorb heat.

The most common form ofsunscreen extends downward over awindow. The fabric has a sewn hemwith an aluminum extrusion inside it.When the shade is lowered, theextruded bar is guided downwardthrough rails. The shades can beraised or lowered using hand-cranks,strap-pulls, or small electric motors.

Above: Overheated and underheated periods for “internally-dominated” buildings. Below: Overheated andunderheated periods for “envelope-dominated” buildings.

Reprinted with permission of John Wiley & Sons Inc. from Heating, Cooling and Lighting: Design Methods for Architects, by Norbert Lechner, Copyright 1991/2001.

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As mentioned, systems maybe fixed or movable, but optimal shad-ing strategies must be climate depend-ent. That is, different strategies willprevail depending on whether a build-ing is located in a heating dominatedclimate or a cooling dominated cli-mate. Studies show that fixed externalshading devices are net energy losersin heating dominated climates becausethey reduce beneficial solar gains dur-ing the winter, even though theyreduce cooling energy use in the sum-mer. The opposite holds true for cool-ing dominated climates. Exterior shad-ing devices are the best energy saverswhile tinted glass is the least efficient.

Fixed shading devicesThere are many types of

fixed shading devices that can supplythe ideal condition of solar blockagewith clear views: building overhangs,horizontal louvers, overhanging verti-cal panels, vertical fins, “eggcrates”and eggcrates with slanted fins. Therealso are new developments in ten-sioned fabric louvers that combine theadvantages of fixed fins with theadvantages of fabric’s lighter weightand recent advances in durability.

According to Nobert Lechner,in his book Heating, Cooling and Lighting:Design Methods for Architects, “With a fixedshading device, the solar exposure ofthe window is not a function of tempera-ture but rather of sun angles.Unfortunately, sun angles and tempera-ture are not completely in phase for tworeasons. The first is that daily patternsvary widely, especially in spring and fall.The second, most important reason isthat the thermal year and the solar yearare “out of phase” by about two months.This is why the northern states andCanada have their coldest days not inDecember around the winter solsticebut on average in late January andFebruary. With the earth’s great mass, itheats up slowly in spring and doesn’treach maximum summer temperaturesuntil well after the summer solstice inmid June. Likewise, in winter, there is aone- to two-month lag in the cooling ofthe earth.

As shown in the charts onpage 41, typical heating and cooling

Continuing education

Case study–Fixed shading: The University of Texas, School of Nursing and Student Community Center in Houston hasincorporated an extensive fabric shade on the east façade. A total of 265 fabric panels—135 vertical and 130 hori-zontal— help control daylighting and contribute to a 70% savings in energy costs through reduced heating andlighting costs.


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