THE CHALLENGE – DELIVER EFFICIENT LIGHTING AND NOISE REDUCTION FOR SPORTING VENUE
The Auckland Netball Centre is the home of netball in Auckland. Every year it serves thousands of netballers and spectators for practice sessions and tournament games. Key challenges for this project were lighting and acoustics. The netball association wanted a venue that could be lit naturally during the day, to minimize the cost of artificial lighting and limit heat sources that could overheat players. There was also a need to prevent excessive noise during play, which causes a problem in other indoor netball stadiums around New Zealand.
THE SOLUTION – COMBO ROOF THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE STADIUM’S HUGE SUCCESS
Structurflex worked closely with the architect to develop a design that combines steel roof cladding with PVC tension membranes. The tension membranes allow penetration of a high level of natural light, which provides excellent playing conditions during the day without the need for bright, heat-generating roof lights. In the evening, the tension membrane’s reflective qualities are utilized to minimize the requirement for artificial light. Compared with all-metal roofs that reflect sound waves, tension membranes absorb sound to reduce noise within the stadium. Even when the venue is packed with spectators, noise levels stay within acceptable limits. Today Auckland has a world-class facility that provides a comfortable, well-lit, acoustically-friendly sporting environment.
We are pleased to have collaborated with KieranTimberlake and the outfit of a parking structure on the Rice University Campus. In their blog post, they describe the concepts they employed to create an iconic sculptural element. For more details see the KieranTimberlake blog post.
The Increasing Importance of DurabilityWhile tensile fabric has several distinct advantages over more traditional materials like glass, one of the most important may be its ability to withstand severe weather events. Our tensile structures and tensile facades in Miami, Jacksonville, Houston, Fort Worth, Waco, and Atlanta did not sustain any damage or require any repair despite enduring events ranging […]
