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The Fabric Structures Association (FSA), a division of the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), recently announced the recipients of the 2018 Fabric Structures Student Design Competition awards. The winners were announced at IFAI Expo 2018, held Oct. 15-18 in Dallas, Texas.
First Place
Rafael Dias Simoes, Kevin Barthelmebs and Fabien Burgeat from ENSAVT University won first place with “Origami Parking,” a wood-framed provisory parking garage accommodating 450-500 cars. It is situated near the Orly Airport, corresponding to an urban, mutating area due to an upcoming new train station and extension of the metropolitan line.
Second Place
Georges Fares from the University of Texas at Austin was awarded second prize for his Cortina Hostel project, with the idea of turning a current strip mall in Austin into a hotel. The concept is to use origami folded pyramids that are attached to a system of rods connected through a rail in the ceiling. With this, a curtain system is created to transform the space of the hotel.
The system is used in three main places in the project, each with a different purpose. In Hostel, the curtains can transform the space into either individual sleeping spaces or several combined spaces, based on the request of the user; with the exterior screen the system can be used as a sunscreen that can rotate on its own axis; and in public areas, the curtain system can create a custom event space.
Third Place
Kellie Nguyen, University of Texas at Austin, took third place in the FSA competition with her BEACON Pavilion. The university is home to a student volunteer-run program called SURE Walk, intended to reduce the risk of sexual assault and other forms of interpersonal violence on campus by providing companionship to people walking home during late hours. The goal of the BEACON Pavilion is to support SURE Walk by providing a designated safe and well-lit area near the Student Activity Center building for students.
Students were challenged to design a fabric structure that provides shelter and architectural interest for a public or commercial site. IFAI and its divisions have created student design competitions to encourage students to pursue careers in the specialty textiles field. Students compete for a prize package worth more than $6,000, including a trip to IFAI Expo, to present their winning projects and spend time with industry members from all parts of the textile supply chain. For information, visit ifaistaging.wpengine.com.