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A TENT-ATIVE
HAPPY ENDING
J. Miller Canvas solves
an anticipated energy- consumption problem for a customer with too
much interior space to heat and cool. The new building occupied by
a big- league charity fund-raising firm in California was
cavernous. At 100,000 square feet and three stories tall, the
structure threatened to eat up a lot of gas and electricity on
heating and air-conditioning. Not wanting to pay exorbitant
monthly energy bills, the fund-raising outfit summoned J. Miller Canvas of
Santa Ana, Calif., to solve the problem by fabricating a number of
indoor tent structures and deploying them throughout the gigantic
facility.
"Basically, what this customer
wanted to do was cluster groups of its employees under a total of
eight of these tents, which, in effect, formed buildings within a
building," says J. Miller
Canvas owner Jim Miller. "This arrangement would allow the
majority of air conditioning to be confined to the tents. The
tents being significantly smaller spaces than the surrounding
interior of the building meant less consumption of energy to
provide comfortable cooling ."All of the building was air
conditioned the tents and the large commons areas in between the
tents. It's just that with everyone spending most of their time
inside a tented area, they could set the thermostat higher for the
commons. They saved a lot of money on air conditioning by doing it
this way."
AESTHETICALLY PLEASING
To be technically correct, the
tents were finned tension structures. "The design of these tents
is complex," says Miller. "These aren't conventional tent
structures. The body of each tent is kept low to the ground to
minimize the space that needs to be cooled and also to trap the
coolness once it's achieved. But, by the same token, these aren't
squatty, flat-panel structures. They have aesthetically pleasing
height, which is created with the help of fins."
The largest of the tents measured
40 feet by 80 feet, the smallest 20 feet by 40 feet. Tent
interiors are illuminated with both direct and bounce lighting.
Built into the tents is a support system that accommodates fire
sprinklers. John Boyle Co.'s
"Main Street" fabric was the material used throughout. "We chose
'Main Street' for a couple of reasons," says Miller. "First, it
has a fire-resistance certification of Class A, Class 1. Second,
it's color quality is superb it's a bright, snowy white
."Three-eighths-inch galvanized cable was utilized to tension the
tents from custom-made steel brackets welded to the interior face
of the warehouse-style building's roof system.
UP, UP AND AWAY
Installing the tents required the
aid of a trio of articulating boom lifts. These allowed crews to
rise above and reach across to the center of each tent.
Installation did not occur in isolation, however. "There were
contractors from every trade there on site at the same time as
us," Miller recalls. "We had to carefully coordinate our work with
theirs very challenging since we were all operating under tight
schedules. We didn't want to get in their way and interfere with
the pace of their activities. But, at the same time, we wanted to
make sure they would take steps to avoid damaging the fabric while
they were attempting to get in and do their portions of the
build-out."
STANDING APART
Thanks to good planning and nimble
execution, J. Miller Canvas
brought the project in on time, much to the delight of the
customer. Part of the reason this occurred is that J. Miller Canvas has
designed its shop in a way closer akin to a sail- making loft than
to a conventional awnings factory. "Our floor is completely
covered in a highly varnished wood," says Miller. "That way, if we
have a tension structure or other projects that are too big for a
tabletop, we can lay them out on the floor and hold them in place
with pins pressed directly into the wood. "Also, it's a lot more
comfortable a surface to work on than is concrete. Because of the
comfort factor, we're happier as we work. That means we do a
better job in addition to a faster job.
"And the wood floor means we can
keep the product very clean because we dust-mop at the start of
each day. "Sewing machines have been set at floor-level, which in
effect transforms the floor into a giant table. "Another stand
apart for us is our in- house automated cutting table," Miller
tells. "It allows us to do tension structures without having to
plot on the floor of our facility saves us a lot of time.
"Accordingly, in addition to providing a precision product, the
company also can turn jobs around faster. "Our work is performed
entirely in-house," says Miller. "Nothing is farmed out."
THEY GET AROUND
J. Miller Canvas is
famous for commercial awnings, tension, structures and custom
interior fabrics. The company is distinguished too by its ability
to handle completely custom projects and willingness to travel
anywhere. "The farthest we've ventured out is the resort island of
St. Kits Nevis off Venezuela, "says Miller. "We've also done
projects in New York, and have projects on an on-going basis for a
nationwide clothing store chain." The tents Miller's firm built
for the charity fund-raising company won several architectural
awards. Los Angeles-based Clive Wilkinson Architects was the
designer.
Another secret behind the success
of the project was J.
Miller Canvas's ability to take the architect's sketches and
transform them into workable construction schematics. "We have a
state-of-the-art CAD drawing and photo rendering system that lets
us provide our architect customers a clear understanding of what
it will take to fabricate the product and what the finished
product will look like even before the first piece of material is
cut," says Miller. "We speak the same language of the architects
and are able to provide them with a product that meets all their
expectations. We don't have the problem of having to go through a
learning curve with them. We're ready to roll up our sleeves and
get cracking as soon as we're given the job."
(Visit J. Miller Canvas on the
Internet at:
www.jmillercanvas.com.) |
