Lightweight Structures

Tensile Structures

Tensile structures span large distances and use less structural support with fewer columns.

Their high strength-to-weight ratio makes them lightweight, flexible, and quicker to install with excellent seismic resistance. Their inherent translucency provides volumetric lighting, reducing operational carbon energy costs without glare. With many different fabrics and foils to choose from, materials can range from fire-resistive to non-combustible including inert base fabrics and coatings that do not degrade under UV light.

Our team can help with your tensile structure from concept design to engineering, to final design and detailing, to coordination with all specialty contractors worldwide. With 45+ years of experience developing this technology from its early form to today’s innovations, the Lightweight Structures Group is here to help guide you in this specialized field of architecture.

“In a sustainable economy, the guiding principle is ‘lighter is better.’ The natural world and ancient human world are filled with elegant examples of engineering with lightweight materials – solutions that we are only now rediscovering.” Lightness by Adrian Beukers and Ed van Hitte

Leadership + People

Nic Goldsmith
Nic Goldsmith
Founding Director, Lightweight Structures Group
AshishSoni
Ashish Soni
Design Director, Lightweight Structures Group