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Snapshot: After party
January 1st, 1970
By Sigrid Tornquist Every year since 2004, Aztec Tents has provided custom tenting for HBO’s Primetime Emmy Awards after party. The event space is transformed into an elegant and intimate venue, under the creative design of Billy Butchkavitz. For the 2012 event, the centerpiece of the event was a massive 40-foot sculpture, inspired by South […]
Intrinsically antimicrobial
January 1st, 1970
By Sigrid Tornquist Antimicrobial textile advances include reducing bacteria on the fabrics healthcare workers and patients come into contact with every day: hospital bedding and privacy curtains, and lab coats and scrubs. At the earliest stages, these advancements essentially involved two ways to achieve antimicrobial benefits—by coating fabrics topically or incorporating a coated fiber or […]
Making the grade
January 1st, 1970
By Sigrid Tornquist “Historically, there were no medical grade standards for fiber production in the textile industry,” says Brenda Gilchrist, vice president operations, RxFiber LLC. “We are in the process of pulling together the leading biomaterial experts to discuss what medical grade fiber is and to begin setting standards for the industry. What does medical […]
Before you get started
January 1st, 1970
“Test the fabric with an independent third party. This is especially relevant with cheaper fabrics. Often, overseas suppliers will call their fabrics potable when they are only food grade. This can cause significant issues once your products are rolled out. Also, every single item that will go into the product, such as fittings, hoses and […]
Protect the poutine!
January 1st, 1970
Cantine Chez Ben, a legendary café in Granby, Quebec, Canada, has been satisfying Canadians’ love of poutine (french fries with gravy and cheese) for more than 60 years. With an eye on expanding business, its third generation owners decided to provide a cover for its outdoor terrace. But not just any canopy would do; it […]
Next-generation fabricators
January 1st, 1970
The economy has not been the biggest problem for marine fabricators; it’s the lack of qualified workers to carry on the craft—this and the need to incorporate new equipment that can speed up the process and help small shops run more efficiently. “These are the two ‘evils’ of our industry that no one has been […]
Using the air (apparent)
January 1st, 1970
Inflatable buildings have their own unique advantages, especially portability and easy set-up. By Bruce Wright, AIA Inflatable buildings can have some special requirements-such as air pumps to fill the structural fabric tubes-unlike any other type of structure, but they also have advantages for relocatable buildings or rapid set-up for disaster relief structures. David Kelsall, technical […]
Getting creative
January 1st, 1970
PROBLEM: When you’re tensioning a fabric structure, it’s difficult to pull the fabric close enough to the attachment point to connect the permanent hardware. SOLUTION: A compactly built rigging block can pull the fabric closer than a come-along. “Say you have a 50-foot-by-50-foot fabric structure with four points,” says Charles Duvall, principal at Duvall Design, […]
Where do I find it?
January 1st, 1970
Most fabricators have one or two suppliers for hardware and finishing supplies, depending on the industries they work in most often. But sometimes connectors, trims, ties and tubing can come from unexpected places. Awning makers may find that for an unusual job, marine hardware fits the bill. Fabricators who do a lot of prototyping may […]
Snapshot: Kids’ commodities
January 1st, 1970
By Sigrid Tornquist In 2003 Pottery Barn Kids approached Susan Shields of Airtex Design Group to produce a unique signature children’s chair. The product became the Anywhere Chair, a timeless product, which became the signature of the Pottery Barn Kids brand. “We were able to design, source and sell this product at $99 (opening price […]