[attachment=15523]
Fabric Structures are considered the oldest forms of Housing. Throughout history, they have been adopted in one form or another by different groups of people living in a variety of environmental conditions. The tent form was ideal for nomads because they were lightweight, mobile and adaptable but the "modern Nomad" doesn’t need a tent anymore as our living quarters have become more permanent wherever we happen to be or go. Tensile architecture represents the new trend in design and construction with the minimum amount of material. Most buildings today are basically compression structures. There is another way to build, though, using flexible materials and the force of tension, rather than weight, to hold things together. The use of tensioned fabric in architecture necessitates collaboration between engineers and architects from the beginning. This paper deals with the Potential of Tension Fabric Structures in Housing and warehousing. The focus of this report is to explain the "overall performance" of Housing and Warehousing could improve with the use of Tension Fabric Structures in the country like India.
Overall performance is defined as the success of a building or space in sustaining human needs i.e. physical, social and environmental. Housing is a very personal experience and a form of architecture with complex physical, environmental and social issues. My utopian vision is to first have a decent home for every person build by using tension fabric structures. The use of tension fabric structures in residential applications must be looked at differently at each segment of the market. For single family homes, the use is extremely personal and often experimental. On the other hand, the benefit Architects tend to seek in using fabric structures in housing is a safe and reliable spatial envelope for public assembly that will improve, not solve, the overall performance of the development. Today, Fabric Structures have played an important role in society. We can all agree that they provide environmental protection and an alternative solution to some traditional materials but it’s hard to measure the satisfaction one gets out of fabric structures on a social level. Fabric structures have primarily been built for only public uses: amphitheaters, recreational centers, shopping malls, stadiums and pavilions, but they are not used on an everyday basis for living.
THE “SOFT” HOUSING AND WAREHOUSING MARKET
 The Physical Performance is making something that is affordable and durable. Architecture as shelter has primarily been built of hard materials, to separate our public and private spaces and buildings from the environment. However throwing light on the design of some homes today. The home has transformed from fabric walls to heavy walls or to glass walls or to no walls at all. Fabric covered patios, gardens, garages, entries and sidewalks are being designed with structures with translucent membranes to get closer and closer to nature at an affordable price.
Today, commercial tents and pre-engineered clear spans are wonderful solutions for enlarging ones living space and protecting one from the elements. In larger developments, entries, public facilities and parking garages are being developed using fabric structures to advertise, hide or protect existing or new construction and owner’s personal belongings.
 The Social performance is creating a place or space where social interaction can occur. This normally occurs through the arrangement of housing units or the space created between buildings. Architects usually approach fabric structures in terms of their novelty and long span capabilities, but there are so many other features which architectural fabrics bring to improve social interaction. Retail (Tent house provider) has learned about the potential of fabric structures and multifamily buildings and garden apartments can learn the same. Retractable systems are getting bigger, wider and capable of being used with new and more advanced materials. Domed stadiums are no longer trends in professional sports and the multi family market can see the benefits as well. Small scale tennis and recreational facilities and public amenities like bathrooms and corner stores can be fabric structures for large scale developments and shade and shelter is needed for areas like parking, transportation, and dining.
 The Environmental performance is in some ways the most complex. Although, performance can be calculated in rupees, dollars and cents and Kilowatts, it can also be very subjective as every person has a different comfort level. Another issue being addressed with regards to the environmental performance is the material itself. There is past, present and future interest in the environment and sustainability. Is the material durable, recyclable, environmentally friendly, assisting in LEED certification or giving off toxic gases to the environment? You can say that about any material. Fabric structures are made of very few materials and designed and made to improve human comfort. Their benefits include the reduction of direct UV to the skin, and by providing natural light to areas which might otherwise require artificial lighting and electricity.
FUTURE OF TENSION FABRIC STRUCTURE:
Housing: - With the rise in energy cost and real estate prices and taxes nationwide, there may be more interest in creating temporary structures for outdoor living in single family homes. Do it yourself Pavilions, clear spans and pool enclosures are more than ever within reach. As for multifamily housing, the public spaces, roof and the parking lot are the places being considered for fabric structures. The social areas or play areas will see the greatest growth as the need for UV protection for children and elderly will increase.
Fig (1): - A Home Fig (2): - Multifamily home
Lastly, Architects and Engineers are seeing the roof as a possible new source for interaction, energy and creativity. Enclosed Pools and partially covered "green roofs" are on the drawing boards as well as the use of photovoltaic on membrane structures. Ultimately, the key to any successful housing project or neighborhood development is its social performance.
Warehousing: -Tension fabric buildings are highly versatile when used by farmers and even for government organizations for agricultural purpose. These fabric structures have combined the unquestioned strength of rigid frames with the proven benefits of a fabric cover to provide an exceptional structure to house our livestock. Tension fabric buildings are perfect for housing hay, equipment, or livestock. In fact, the same storage building could be used to store excess grain. Grain storage buildings ranging from 30’-0” to 300’-0” or greater in width in order to meet our demands. These tension fabric structures offer a low cost per-square feet and per-ton for bulk storage applications. The unique design and shape provides superior air flow through the building, proven to increase overall productivity. Airflow is optimized with large eaves, ridge vents, curtains, and various end wall configurations. This roof structure produced an impressive free span space at an amazingly low cost as compared to traditional construction.
Fig (3): - Warehouse Fig (4): -Internal View
Whether you are in need for a temporary structure to store raw materials or require a barn or a storage space to store food grains, you now have a solution. Some of the most economical and convenient-to-use storage units are the fabric structures. There are loads of benefits of setting up these buildings over the conventional masonry structures.
• Laying of foundations not required.
• No permits required.
• Fast assembling and disassembling.
• Both permanent and temporary