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Stretchable inks
June 1st, 2015
Stretchable electronic ink materials are designed for use in smart clothing applications and other wearable electronics, providing an elegant, manufacturing-ready alternative to traditional methods of embedding electronics in clothing. They deliver stable performance, and a third party evaluation of fabrics incorporating the materials showed them to be washable, durable and capable of withstanding up to […]
Chairless Chair looking for a seat at the table
June 1st, 2015
Factory production lines aren’t ideal spaces for chairs; standing in one place while performing repetitive tasks isn’t a great way to maintain human comfort or health. A start-up company aiming to become a leader in wearable ergonomic, mechatronic and assistive devices, noonee AG, Rüti, Switzerland, took these two problems and found a solution. The Chairless […]
Shade sails on ice
June 1st, 2015
A goal of the restoration of New York City’s Riverbank State Park ice rink, completed in December 2014, was to extend the season for the ice by protecting it from increased sun exposure it experienced in late winter. Considering the facility’s high visibility due to its location—69 feet above the Hudson River, on top of […]
Canopied corporate strolls
June 1st, 2015
Office workers in Auckland, New Zealand’s Highbrook Business Park can be found most days lingering over lunch or strolling outside at The Crossing, an open-air plaza. The large, open-air green space is home to cafes, bars and retail spaces. But when the weather doesn’t cooperate, pedestrians able to seize the chance to get outside don’t […]
Big tent browsing
June 1st, 2015
In April 2014, rain and hail inundated Mexico City, flooding the building that housed the Mercado Rio Blanco, a huge public market in downtown Mexico City that was home to 450 vendors. City officials knew they’d need seven or eight months to rebuild, but they didn’t intend to let the vendors down in the meantime. […]
Creativity colors ‘Digital Couture’ for N.Y. Fashion Week
June 1st, 2015
Advanced dye-sublimation printers achieve eye-popping color on a wide range of fabrics, and Epson America Inc., Long Beach, Calif., challenged select fashion designers to use its Epson® SureColor® F-Series printing technology to wow audiences with its capabilities during New York Fashion Week in February. The 11 designers, most from South America, are early adopters of […]
Lessons in community, ecology
June 1st, 2015
The Longbush Ecosanctuary protects native plants, birds and wildlife in a rare lowland bush near Gisbourne, on New Zealand’s eastern coast. Longbush Ecological Trust wanted an inviting environmental education space to serve as a symbolic gateway to the 296-acre sanctuary and commissioned architect Sarosh Mulla to design and build the shelter. Mulla, whose doctoral research […]
Bubbling beauty
June 1st, 2015
Pedestrians passing by an otherwise common-looking concrete wall in Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture now get the chance to see an ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) film and cushion system installation in all its beauty. Architect Endo Shuhei of Osaka, Japan-based Endo Shuhei Architecture Institute designed the 99-square-meter structure, and the system was fabricated by Covertex Membranes (Shanghai) Co. […]
Product, then procurement: MUST
June 1st, 2015
FORETHOUGHT By Mary Hennessy Something very exciting and potentially game-changing is occurring in the military market: IFAI members will soon have the opportunity to get into the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) supply pipeline before contracts and specifications are issued. It’s called MUST—Military Uniform System Technology. The initial demonstration and proof of concept of MUST is […]
Transformed by textiles
June 1st, 2015
Two case studies highlight the use of fabric to renovate and convert stadium spaces. By Jake Kulju Cities are full of movement and change. Parks, public spaces and businesses all reflect the shifting tastes and trends of their urban neighborhoods. To adapt, many urban planners, business owners and architects are incorporating industrial fabrics into their […]