When the
photocopier emerged on the office scene decades ago to replace Gestetner and
carbon copies, most people were skeptical of its value or the likelihood that
offices would find a need for multiple copies. Instead of failing miserably as
predicted, it opened up other industries and technologies, including fax, print
advertising and others. This, in turn, enabled the growth of other businesses.
Think of the ideas and inventions that the computer has spawned.
Similarly,
the emergence of fabric buildings (often called “tarpaulin buildings”) has
enabled the refinement and development of many more business and personal
applications that were not feasible a decade or two ago.
In rural
communities, retention of the population base has become the primary focus,
with a steady outflow of residents moving to bigger centres where there are better
facilities of all sorts. Combined with a lack of money to stimulate
infrastructure development or business support, this lack of services has
become critical to community survival or failure. Fabric buildings may offer an
answer to cost effective development of local resources. One of the major
costs, for example, involved in swimming pool construction is the enclosure.
With the very short outdoor season in Western Canada, a three-month season to
repay the cost of a swimming pool is far from sufficient. However, a fabric
canopy could extend the season by three more months, making capital costs more
affordable. Along Lake Winnipeg, a local community spent several years
considering the viability of an amphitheater for its summer patrons, opting
eventually for a simple stage. Had the choice of a fabric canopy been
considered, cost would have been significantly reduced and the project
proceeded more quickly. While many rural communities have developed golf
courses, opting for a fabric pavilion would have expanded their reach and
ability to serve larger groups than the small clubhouses that they build can
do.
Whether
urban or rural, open-air restaurants are popular eateries and the fabric
building is the perfect answer to this venue design. They can be seasonal,
extended season operations or even designed as year-round facilities. In like
manner, rural and urban centres may want to look at the low cost versus the
benefit of providing baseball diamond dugout canopies or umbrella sunshades for
the spectators. In the country, rodeo stands and staging areas could use such
low-cost coverings.
Many cities now employ transit stop canopy
shelters made of fabric. Apartment complexes and some hotels have maximized
usable space by installing rooftop canopies while others have enclosed
courtyards in fabric domes. Think of the many outdated seniors homes. Their
tiny suites are far from inviting. Expanded leisure space can be quickly
created by enclosing the unused greenspace that many have. Auto dealers know
that shoppers prefer to examine their potential purchase in the comfort of an
enclosed showroom. A simple shade saddle, inflatable dome or tension-fabric
building costs a fraction of a traditional showroom, provides better lighting
and easier access and egress for vehicles. This, in turn, increases sales
potential.
While the
evolution of fabric structures (or “tarp structures”) may not equal the impact
of the computer or photocopier, it is a game-changer, and allows for creative
communities, organizations, businesses and individuals to capitalize on the
opportunities created.
