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Covered rotunda offers comfort for medical center
November 12th, 2024
Tropical J’s, a Hawaii-based awning and canopy manufacturer, had completed an awning for the rear of the Straub's Medical Center during COVID. That project so impressed the CEO of the center that when it came time for another shade project, he asked his facilities manager to reach out to them again. Straub Medical Center is […]
From outlet mall to entertainment outlet and hub
March 1st, 2024
Changing buying habits over the last couple of decades have spurred shopping centers to evolve as well. Many have been reimagined and reborn, such as the continuing transformation of the former Chesterfield, Mo., outlet mall into The District. The entertainment hot spot is now anchored by restaurants, a brewery, special events space, concert venue, fitness […]
Awnings encourage natural light and offer shade protection
June 1st, 2023
Natural light can help reduce energy usage in our buildings. This is a lesson known for centuries but seemingly forgotten after the 1940s with postwar technological advances in air conditioning (coupled with the Modernist design movement that declared “ornament is a crime”). These stripped-down building facades spoke volumes about a new era of high-tech materials […]
Shade around the world: custom canopy projects
January 1st, 2021
Ant Walk in Mexico City is a covered walkway by Ketan Membranas Arquitectónicas, intended to be analogous of the form of organization and work dynamics that ants use to provide themselves with resources. Photo: Ketan Membranas Arquitectónicas. Wherever the sun shines, people need shade. These recent canopy projects from around the world fulfill that mission […]
An architecturally significant performance hall gets a new canopy
August 1st, 2020
When Hurricane Irma slammed into Florida in 2017, the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota, Fla., was one of many buildings damaged. In particular, the fabric of the hall’s front canopy needed to be replaced. The new beige entrance canopy to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota, Fla., complements the lavender seashell […]
Outdoor lifestyles of the rich and famous
April 1st, 2020
A retractable canopy provides just the right shading in the California sun. Photos: Arya Group. Villa Sarbonne, a Bel Air mega mansion, was designed with no detail left unattended. The 25,000-square-foot home boasts nine bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, a movie theater, hair salon, spa and even a car elevator that rises seamlessly from underground to deliver […]
Underwater shade at Penn State
May 1st, 2019
Tensile membrane offers two times more natural light transmission than standard weldable PVDF membranes as well as twice the heat protection, making it ideal for creating an outdoor performance and relaxation space. Photos: ©Lightweight Manufacturing. When you think about outdoor spaces for people to congregate, a water tower is probably not on the list. But […]
Retractable canopies keep concert-goers protected
May 1st, 2019
A new retractable canopy enables the Merriweather Post Pavilion to host open-air events on sunny days and provide instant protection from the elements when needed. Photos: Uni-Systems LLC. Located in a forest setting between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Md., the Merriweather Post Pavilion is an historic outdoor music venue. Designed by architects Frank Gehry and […]
Call for entries: IFAI’s Student Design Challenge
May 9th, 2016
IFAI’s Student Design Challenges is the industry’s best showcase for tomorrow’s talent. The opportunity will give students a chance to network with industry professionals and build their resume and portfolios. Deadline is June 10, 2016. This year’s competition features awards in four separate challenges, all using textiles as major components: Advanced Textiles: Design for aerospace, […]
Reading the client right
January 1st, 2016
Buckeye, Ariz., is one of the nation’s fastest growing cities, and the city wanted its new Coyote Branch Library to excite and attract growing families and stay true to its western culture. Moss Inc., headquartered in Chicago, Ill., read the city’s intentions perfectly, designing a 40-by-30-foot canopy for the central children’s reading area that resembles […]