This month sees the launch of our free downloadable guide to tensile structures, a 17 page how-to and what’s-what cunningly entitled..... ‘Tensile Guide’. So this month we’re flying through the principle concepts of tensile architecture, lightly touching on all the important facts and ideas.

So why use tensile fabric at all?

There is such a broad spectrum of applications for tensile fabric, from gigantic free standing structures and temporary sporting pavilions to covered walkways and small entrance canopies; fabric is fast increasing in popularity as a building material and new applications for tensiles are always on the horizon.

1. The visual effect

We find the primary reason why people want to use tensile fabric is simply that it looks awesome. Architects love tensile fabric because they can use it to create stunning three dimensional shapes and forms that no other material can reproduce. It is all about the double curvature, a deceptively simple concept that is the building block for a fantastic range of forms, from simple shade sails through to complex sculptural structures.

2. Tensile fabric is fast

The fabric itself is cut, welded and finished in one factory under controlled conditions by skilled technicians, ensuring the highest quality control. Once the membrane is delivered to site you would be amazed just how quickly it goes up.

3. Let there be light.... and there was

Another advantage fabric inherently possesses is translucency. Modern architecture is concerned with form and light, and fabric delivers on all fronts. By allowing light to pass through, fabric is fantastic when used for a covered walkway or atrium roof. Being cheaper than translucent alternatives like glass and longer lasting than polycarbonate, it is not hard to see why fabric is increasingly becoming the material of choice. But what if you want a fabric roof that looks as clear as glass? Well you choose ETFE. Transmitting up to 99% of light, you’d be very hard pressed to know it isn’t glass, except for the fact that it drastically reduces your costs. There will be more on ETFE in a future blog.

4. Lifespans stack up too

A concern that often rears its head early on is life-span. Fabric isn’t going to last as long as bricks and mortar. That’s a fact. But the bulk of the cost for fabric structures ends up in the framing and steelwork, and with fabric life spans of up to 30 - 40 years it becomes cost effective to simply re-skin and upgrade the fabric when necessary.

5. New for old at half the cost

Fabric is not only used for new-build, state-of-the-art structures – when used to refurbish existing buildings it is both cost effective and transformative. See my previous blog ‘Tensile structures: the next environmental leap?’ for the lo-down. Fabric is not just for facelifts however; an existing courtyard can be covered or a gap between buildings can be spanned to create an ‘internal’ street. Both popular options that have had a major impact on the upgrading of schools in recent years. 


So that’s why you may want to use tensile fabric. Next up, I’ll be covering how they work. In the meantime, you can grab yourself a copy of our free guide to tensile structures here.