Composite roof is bright and efficient

[Birdair Inc.] Amherst, N.Y.

The Talisman Centre for Sport and Wellness in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is sporting a new roof that may look like its original, but it’s quite different. Birdair Inc. served as the roofing subcontractor, replacing the 162,000-square-foot tensile roof installed in 1983 with an updated Tensotherm™ with Lumira™ aerogel roofing system. The composite consists of a Lumira aerogel layer, a Cradle to Cradle® Silver Certified^CM insulating material by Cabot Corp. Tensotherm is comprised of Lumira aerogel sandwiched between two PTFE fiberglass membranes. The new roof maintains the facility’s external appearance while improving natural light, insulation, energy efficiency and temperature control. Until recently, it was considered impossible to insulate a PTFE roof effectively without sacrificing its daylighting capability.