FlexFacades by Structurflex engineered, fabricated, and installed the fins, decorative facade cladding screen system on the brand new, state-of-the-art Consolidated Rental Car Facility (CONRAC) at the San Antonio International Airport. Fentress Architects engaged our team to provide a value-engineered alternative to the originally designed metal facade fins and screens. We provided significant cost savings by using fabric membrane framed fins, fabric mesh facade screen with printed graphics. We also fabricated the structural steel frame, creating an environmentally friendly system that contributed toward the project’s LEED Silver certification.
Spanning 13 acres, the seven-level facility includes 14 rental car companies with approximately 2,000 parking spaces and a quick turnaround area for vehicle refueling, cleaning, and light maintenance. The $178 million facility provides direct pedestrian access from the airport terminal to rental car facilities.
The fabric fins and facade screens also provide protection from the heat and sun without inhibiting the view from the facility to the outdoors. The facade screens are custom printed with a two panels of a public art mural entitled “¡Adelante San Antonio!,” created by Dos Mestizk. On the first panel, a golden eagle represents daytime departures, and the flock of birds on the second panel symbolize nighttime arrivals.
By using fabric mesh instead of metal mesh, FlexFacades by Structurflex was able to produce and install a signature facade screen and fins at a fraction of the cost of traditional metal mesh.
