Featured Architectural Projects

One of the first architects to use a flexible formwork in an architectural application was the late Spanish architect Miguel Fisac with his 1970’s design of the Juan Zurita residence in Madrid, Spain. His use of rope and plastic sheeting to create these precast panels imparts a sense of “warmth and softness” to an otherwise cold and hard substance (Studio Miguel Fisac).

Another architect whose work has softened up concrete is Japanese architect Kenzo Unno. Working independently of Fisac he has developed several cast-in-place (CIP) fabric-formed wall systems since the mid 1990’s. The Kobe earthquake on January 17, 1995 provided the motivation for Unno to create residential designs that are intended to provide safe housing using simple methods of construction with as little construction waste as possible. Using standard wall ties and the wall’s reinforcement for support of the fabric membrane his quilt-point restraint method, for example, creates a pattern reminiscent of a quilt for the Eiji Hoshino Residence. For the Susae Nakashima “Stone Renaissance” house a ”frame” restraint method was employed using pipes at a slight angle to restrain the fabric and give these walls their own distinct character. (Photo credits: Knzo Unno, Isao Aihara and Mark West)

This private villa, Casa Dent, constructed in Culebra, Puerto Rico, designed by Fu Tung Cheng of Cheng Design, made the first use of fabric formwork to cast reinforced concrete columns supporting a flat-plate slab. Professor Mark West (Figure 6) of the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, was responsible for the architectural and formwork designs as well as overseeing construction of these columns [1]. The column formwork was developed and fabricated in Winnipeg, MB and air shipped to Culebra. (Photo credits: C.A.S.T.)

Sandy Lawton, a Vermont Design/Builder has also used geotextiles to form the columns, walls and floors for a nontraditional “treehouse” which was completed in 2007 as an addition to the Chuck and Wendy Black residence. See the Picasa website (needs updating) for construction and completed project photos of this truly unique application using fabric formwork. (Photo credits: Sandy Lawton)

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[1] West, M., (June 2004), “Fabric-Formed Concrete Columns”, Concrete International, June 2004, pp 42-45.
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Miguel Fisac