Concept of fabric architecture

With the advent of tensile and fabric architecture came a freedom of form which had been generally either lacking or difficult to achieve with more traditional structural materials such as timber, masonry, steel and reinforced concrete. Perhaps for the first time, as described in Section 7.4, designers were confronted with a lightweight, deformable, structural envelope which to some extent defines its own contour but where an almost infinite variety of shapes is possible. It is difficult to adequately describe such forms with just plans, elevations and sections.Therefore, perhaps even more than usual, architects are compelled to conceive and visualise their designs fully in three dimensions, with physical and/or computer-aided design models. 

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The concept of fabric architecture originates in the tent, principally a form of portable shelter used throughout recorded human history. Nevertheless, despite many similarities, modem tensile surface stmctures used in architecture and design exhibit a different level of technological and design sophistication, not least due to the improved durability, versatility and strength of modern coated and uncoated fabric materials. 

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