Fabric Architecture Specifier's Guide 2020 - 7

BY THE NUMBERS
When adding up sustainable
strategies for your next building,
consider these figures:
* Awnings and shade structures
can provide between 20 and
40 percent savings in annual
building cooling costs.

Aerial view of the Laguna Road Winery where both retractable cable-strung fabric shades
(left) and tensile shade sails (in two colors at right) provide ample protection from the
intense California sun. Photo: Sonoma Shade Sails

Third, when it comes to assessing
the life-cycle carbon footprint of
fabric, no other material can compete
because the transportation of fabric
to construction site is so much lighter
than steel, concrete, glass or masonry
per cubic foot. The manufacturing of
fabric uses lower amounts of material
and energy to produce (less mass
equals lower embodied carbon). Plus,
the durability and life expectancy of
fabric is comparable to most standard
building materials depending on
the specifications selected. Many
architectural fabrics have standard
warranties of 10 to 15 years and some
up to 20 or even 30 years. Compare
this to standard built-up roofs or
shingled roofs with warranties
averaging at 15 years.
CREATIVE INSPIRATION,
WITH LOW MAINTENANCE
Finally, fabric can provide a greater
range of colors and graphics than any
other building material at a reasonable
cost. Fabric can shape a building façade

to engage your creativity and add
interest to your buildings. Fabric also
helps mitigate heat gain by limiting
the need for active cooling, therefore
helping stabilize operating costs.
Most exterior fabrics have added
topcoats that resist pollution and
grime, or shield colors from UV ray
fading effects to keep maintenance to
a minimum. When you dig into this
special issue of Fabric Architecture,
I hope you will use this guide as a tool
to using architectural fabrics in your
next project. 
Bruce N. Wright, FAIA, the former editor of
Fabric Architecture, teaches architecture and
construction management at Dunwoody College
of Technology, and is a consultant to architects
and designers. He is a frequent contributor to
Specialty Fabrics Review and the online journal
Advanced Textiles Source.

* Awnings provide $50 to $240
annual savings in cooling costs
for single family residences.
* Awnings reduce solar heat gain
on a building by 65 to 77 percent
per annum.
* Believe it or not, black or darkcolored awning fabrics save 15
to 20 percent more energy than
light colored fabrics; the more
opaque a shade fabric is, the
better it is at blocking the sun
from reaching a window.

KEY TAKEAWAY
The biggest factor in reducing
heat gain from the sun is to block
it before it reaches the window
glass, either with fixed exterior
shades or retractable units with
hand or motorized controls
mounted in front of the glazing.
This single step can reduce
heat gain more than going from
double-glazed to triple-glazed
windows, saving additional costs
in fenestration.

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 FabricArchitectureMag.com

FABRIC ARCHITECTURE | SPECIFIER'S GUIDE 2020

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Fabric Architecture Specifier's Guide 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Fabric Architecture Specifier's Guide 2020
