Specialty Fabrics Review August 2024 - 64

" Membrane facades
are an area of market
growth and design
innovation for both
new and retrofitted
construction. "
Craig Huntington
HUNTINGTON DESIGN
verify " truth in advertising " when
buildings must perform as efficiently
as possible. The commissioning of
building systems (such as heat pumps),
the operational performance standards
and client requirements that squeeze
the most energy out of the embodied
material carbon footprint, as well
as insulation specifications, have
necessitated the use of third-party
verifications such as EPD. Thus EPD
becomes the standard to match and
has quickly become de rigueur for
carbon counting.
Moreover, architects have a
prime responsibility to reduce the
environmental impact of their buildings
and, as frequently quoted in building
energy performance reviews, 40% of
all carbon impact in the world can be
attributed to buildings, their operations,
their materials and performances, and
life-cycle energy usage.
When it comes to North American
membrane structure design and
construction, several recent changes
have occurred to the fabrics supply
chain. " Evolutions in materials abound, "
says Craig Huntington, SE, F.ASCE,
of Huntington Design Associates,
Oakland, Calif., " and most prominent
among these has been the emergence of
membranes made from foil materials,
chiefly ETFE. Where conventional
fabrics have been limited to light
transmissions of 15% or so, ETFE
material provides near transparency. "
A common application of foil
materials involves wrapping existing
structures with sophisticated facade
systems to help reduce solar heat gain.
" Membrane facades are an area of
market growth and design innovation
for both new and retrofitted
NEW BOOK
FOR ARCHITECTS
he Fabric Structures Association (FSA)
has developed the book Fabric Architecture:
Shaping the Future of Building Materials
as a new resource for architects and
design professionals.
The purpose of the book is to educate and
encourage the use of lightweight membranes
and films in architectural design practices.
Blank pages found throughout the book are
there to inspire design professionals to sketch their next project.
Copies of the book were mailed out to architects and to American Institute
of Architects (AIA) libraries and resource centers throughout the U.S.
A free downloadable digital version of the guide is available at
FabricStructures.Textiles.org for ATA members to share with architects
and design professionals. Limited copies will also be available in the Hub
at the Advanced Textiles Expo in Anaheim, Calif., Sept. 24-26.
construction, " says Huntington.
" Typically, membrane facades are
employed as light-transmitting
shading devices and facade visual
enhancements for office buildings
and other applications. "
One of the more handsome
examples of this type of application
is the University of Cincinnati
Gardner Neuroscience Institute by
Perkins&Will, Minneapolis, Minn.,
with the facade designed and installed
by Structurflex. A large number of
these retrofits are for parking garages,
and that makes sense in response to
city ordinances that require screening
of most garages. The durable mesh
fabrics used for facade treatment also
readily accept graphic design elements
in a variety of colors.
PV IN THE FUTURE?
Integrating photovoltaic (PV) features
has become one of the strong cards
to play when calculating the carbon
bottom line. The development
and rapid improvement in energy
64 SPECIALTY FABRICS REVIEW / August 2024
http://FabricStructures.Textiles.org
Specialty Fabrics Review August 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Specialty Fabrics Review August 2024
