Getting the tensile structure you want: it’s as easy as 1-2-3.

How do you intend to arrive at the perfect design (and specification) for your next tensile structure? If you’re a dab hand at this designing tensile structure business, I hesitate to teach you to suck eggs. You might well dash these things off in your sleep. But it might well be that you simply want to put the ball in the manufacturer's court - telling them what you need and asking them to come up with the answers. Either way, here are three questions to ask yourself before you set off in pursuit of achieving the perfect balance of form and function:

1 What job does it have to do?

2 How long does it have to last?

3 What’s the budget?

What's the story?

In all things architectural, it's always going to be a balance between form vs function. The free-flowing designs achievable with tensile structures provide a lot of the joy they bring to everyone who sees them or uses them. They can turn a humdrum edifice into one of great beauty. But they also have a job to do.

External structures in particular will have to withstand the elements - rain and wind yes, but also snow (often a far more insidious enemy of tensile structures as large loads can build up).

So the art is in knowing how different shapes (and fixing systems) will give you the appropriate amount of integrity and resilience - and then working those possibilities into your design. Materials obviously come into this equation, especially if you are concerned about issues such as translucency, but we'll worry about that more in the second section which is…

...Timing is everything

Longevity is a big determinant when you select the materials: PVC coated polyesters, for instance, offer a max of 18 to 20 years. Silicone or PTFE coated glass fabrics go up to 35 years plus.

Increasingly, we are working on temporary and even remountable structures. For one-off sporting or cultural events(such as a major games or a touring exhibition) you can now design with the ability to relocate structures for an alternate use. That’s good for the environment and the budget. New materials are constantly being developed so knowing just what is out there widens your palette and allows you also to consider how to fit in your design with the budget available. Which brings me onto...

...Everything has its price

The materials specified will a play a big part in how much you will spend – they can vary by a factor of ten. We can always talk to you about the options available and how to ‘trim your cloth’.

But believe it or not, the fabric represents a relatively modest part of the overall cost: the support structure and foundations usually eat up most of the spend. It's also worth knowing that - if you really are on a shoe string – off-the-shelf designs are available which can help stretch a tight budget further.

Now for the REALLY helpful bit

This blog is really just a bouncy abbreviation of the vast compendium of knowledge we've built up at Base over the years. And we are currently condensing that into a handy 'brief guide' to tensile structures, due to be published at the beginning of 2012.

It takes you through all the whys, wherefores and how-tos. And backing that up are a whole team of helpful people who will talk you through your ideas - free of charge - and help you achieve your next tensile structure.

Give us a call on +44 (0) 117 971 2229 or email mail@basestructures.com to get your name on the list for a copy.