Beating the heat with shade

November 1, 2013  |  Awnings & Canopies, Fabric Structures, Projects

Temperature extremes in Japan are leading to greater reliance on fabric shade structures. By Kikuko Tagawa Japan has been experiencing extremely hot summers in recent years. The summer of 2013 was especially fierce, according to a statement issued by the Tokyo Climate Center (TCC) Advisory Panel on …
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Googling from great heights

October 1, 2013  |  Fabric Structures, Projects

Rural, remote and developing areas of the world may soon have access to the Internet, if a promising pilot project recently launched by Google takes flight. Google is working with Raven Industries Inc., Sioux Falls, S.D., on a plan to use high-altitude balloons with equipment that will provide high-…
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Civic center sets sail in Newport Beach

October 1, 2013  |  Fabric Structures, Projects

Newport Beach, Calif., is the largest recreational harbor on the West Coast, hosting arts and cultural institutions and a vigorous tourist trade. The sprawling, obsolete City Hall didn’t meet standards for seismic safety or the Americans with Disabilities Act, so Newport Beach recently complet…
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Integrated doors for outdoor life

October 1, 2013  |  Fabric Structures, Projects

Outdoor rooms allow life to flow seamlessly between the protection of the home and the freshness of the garden, deck or patio. Key to easy access is a door design that connects the two. Centor® North America Inc., Batavia, Ill., recently introduced its Centor 200 Series, doors that include retra…
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“Controlled chaos” defines space

October 1, 2013  |  Fabric Structures, Projects

The commercial cornerstone event of the London Design Festival is the 100% Design exhibition, staged at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre. Industrial designer Benjamin Hubert was commissioned to design an auditorium space for the September 18-21, 2013, event that would accommodate lectures for parti…
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Science, art and industry come together in Paris

October 1, 2013  |  Fabric Structures, Projects

Exhibitions showcase pioneering developments in fabrics designed for a sustainable future. By June Bisantz In Paris this summer, two ground-breaking exhibitions explored the rapidly blurring boundaries between art, science and textiles. En Vie/Alive: New Frontiers? at La Fondation EDF (Environmental…
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Creative critters

September 1, 2013  |  Fabric Structures, Projects

[The Design Loft] , St. Louis, Mo., U.S.A. This atrium sculpture for the Children’s Museum of South Dakota brings together indigenous creatures from the Dakota prairie lands into a playful floating garden. In creating these whimsical creatures, The Design Loft used color, images and form to en…
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Organic light and shade

September 1, 2013  |  Fabric Structures, Projects

The Japanese word “in-ei” means shadow, shadiness or nuance, and designer Issey Miyake, Tokyo, Japan, named his new lighting collection IN-EI ISSEY MIYAKE to highlight the organic combination of light and shade that emanates from his unusual lamp shades. The shades consist of ECOPET pape…
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Night lights: pool, path and patio

August 1, 2013  |  Fabric Structures, Projects

Nothing creates a mysterious and evocative ambiance better than an evening event awash in lights. Air Dimensional Design Inc. (AirDD), North Hollywood, Calif., has installed the company’s huge inflatable Hi-Lights™ on the ground and from the ceilings at events as diverse as the Pasadena …
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“Soft House” for cleaner living

August 1, 2013  |  Fabric Structures, Projects

The row house is a staple of urban development, creating side-by-side neighbors with at least one sidewall in common with the next house. In March, the International Building Exhibition in Hamburg, Germany, displayed a new twist on the row house—the newest Soft House, designed by Kennedy &…
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