The role, properties and applications of textile materials in sustainable buildings

The role, properties and applications of textile materials in sustainable buildings 

Lightweight Constructions Institute, Germany and G. POHL, Saarland University of Applied Sciences, Germany 

Nowadays, discussions on architecture, apart from the aspects of pure design, centre on themes of effectiveness - such as usability by quality of use, changeability and cost-efficiency. The more we study publications by the users of our buildings and magazines on architecture, the more we notice that energy efficiency is among the most important themes and is mostly connected with demands on efficiency. 

This situation calls for a rapid and fundamental reorientation in our thinking, particularly towards the structure of our built environment. In the future, architects must exert a far more decisive influence on the plans for urban structures, building concepts and constructive components, to achieve a reduction in the use of energy for producing buildings and their lifetime energy consumption. 

However, textile buildings are very important for our urban and architectural environment. The examples that have been designed during the last few decades have been mostly positive. There are many long-term studies on durability which can make these relatively new materials interesting for emerging markets. 

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