Tensinews

LCA as seen through case studies

Introduction by Carol Monticelli (POLIMI)

Zehra Eryuruk (VUB) – Beyond Lightweight: Environmental Lessons from permanent Membrane and Foil Structures.

Ketankumar Solanki - (POLIMI) - How to Choose Between Foils and Transparent Panels for an Eco-Efficient Building Envelope? A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment.

New materials and applications. Young engineer awards 2026 winners taking the floor.

Siman Zhang (POLIMI) – Photovoltaic-Integrated Textiles in Buildings: Materials, Integration Strategies and Applications

Emma de Groen (Tentech) – The Umbra Pavilion: A lightweight shading structure composed of Heliotextile and a cable net

Moderator: Carol Monticelli (POLIMI)

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3760582127269195?p=MCwVwXO6RKgd6W9h5s

TensiNet’s Lunch & Learn webinars cover a range of key topics in the field of membrane architecture. Projects and research-related topics are presented by experts in this field.

These monthly one-hour webinars take place on Wednesdays from 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm. Taking part is easy via a direct link to the webinar. Non-members of TensiNet are also very welcome. Please find the agenda for 2026.

Wednesday 18th November 

New materials and applications. Young engineer awards 2026 winners taking the floor.

Siman Zhang (POLIMI) – Photovoltaic-Integrated Textiles in Buildings: Materials, Integration Strategies and Applications

Emma de Groen (Tentech) – The Umbra Pavilion: A lightweight shading structure composed of Heliotextile and a cable net

Moderator: Carol Monticelli (POLIMI)

Join: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3760582127269195?p=MCwVwXO6RKgd6W9h5s

Wednesday 16th December

LCA as seen through case studies

Introduction by Carol Montecelli (POLIMI)

Zehra Eryuruk (VUB) – Beyond Lightweight: Environmental Lessons from permanent Membrane and Foil Structures.

Ketankumar Solanki - (POLIMI) - How to Choose Between Foils and Transparent Panels for an Eco-Efficient Building Envelope? A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment

Link will follow

We’ve also received a few confirmations for 2027.

Phil Schneider (VF Lightspan) - Beyond the Drawings – The Reality of Delivering ETFE Megaprojects – The Avenues Riyadh

Christoph Paech (sbp) - Timber Meets Textile Membrane Envelope  

Marijke Mollaert (VUB) - Introduction to EN 19102 – Design of tensioned membrane structures

Ann-Kathrin Goldbach (TUM) - Membrane workshops across educational stages from inspiring young minds to advanced research

Agnieszka Tomaszewska (Gdańsk University of Technology) - Membrane tensegrity structure in the student project at Gdańsk University of Technology — mechanical and technical aspects, from raw materials to construction

We’ll keep you informed!

The Architecture Foundation Türkiye (MIV) and Yıldız Technical University (YTU) will be organizing the IASS2027 International Symposium on Past and Future of the Structural Trends on 05-09 July 2027 in Istanbul.

The theme of the IASS 2027 symposium is Past and Future of Structural Trends. All topics are related to IASS Working Group topics and symposium themes. are welcome to participate in this symposium.

CALL FOR PAPERS
Designers, researchers and practitioners world-wide with a background in architecture, structural engineering and engineering disciplines related to shell and spatial structures are invited to submit abstracts of 300–400 words in English and participate in IASS2027.

There are a few new program elements and a slightly modified setting, but the familiar character of the event series naturally remains unchanged.

New for this 28th edition is the student competition: the winning structure, selected the day before Textile Roofs begins, will be built collaboratively by all participating students over the course of the three-day event.

For more information see Flyer

During the conference dinner, prizes were awarded for the best papers by young engineers. These upcoming talents will have the opportunity to develop their work further and publish it as an open-access article in the journal Steel Construction. Congratulations! Link paper

First prize

Emma de Groen | Rogier Houtman | Pauline van Dongen

The Umbra Pavilion: A lightweight shading structure composed of Heliotextile and a cable net

Runner-ups

Manuel Blum

Façade greening with stainless steel cable systems – design, technology and ecology in harmony

Mohamed Salam |Alexandra S.M. Wittmar |Jörg Uhlemann |Corina Andronescu |Natalie Stranghöner |Mathias Ulbricht

Factors affecting the all-cellulose composites (ACC) structure formation and their impact on mechanical properties and biodegradability

Siman Zhang | Alessandra Zanelli

Photovoltaic-Integrated Textiles in Buildings: Materials, Integration Strategies and Applications

The TensiNet - EMS symposium in Essen had an amazing atmosphere that was both collegial and constructive.

Networking at its best.

There were high-quality presentations on a range of topics, from projects and renovations to innovations and prototypes.

There were lessons learnt and questions about what needs to be solved.

Many thanks to Natalie Stranghöner, Jörg Uhlemann and Evi Corne!

The conference proceedings are available online via ce/papers. You can access the official Wiley issue: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/25097075/2026/9/4-5 or the University of Duisburg-Essen’s internal sharing platform, where all full papers and abstracts included in the proceedings can be downloaded directly: https://uni-duisburg-essen.sciebo.de/s/QXsPHPDTeKKyH9i. We hope that the proceedings will provide a useful reference to the presentations and discussions of the symposium.

From 14 till 18 September 2026 the IASS-IWSS symposium took place in Torino, https://www.iass-iwss2026.org/. 

There was an interesting keynote lecture TRANSFORMATIVE ARCHITECTURE by Yuko Nagayama 

“The structural materials and membrane from the facade of the Japan Pavilion at the Dubai Expo were reused for the Women’s Pavilion in collaboration with Cartier at the Osaka-Kansai Expo.  They will be further reused for GREEN × EXPO 2027 in Yokohama.  Throughout this process, these materials have been repurposed at each location to fit the site layout, scale, and intended use.  I call this ongoing initiative ‘Transformative Architecture’ ...  Additionally, I would like to talk about architecture using membrane materials, which enables lightweight structures that can be dismantled and relocated. This is another form of ‘Transformative Architecture’.  Through these examples, I hope to share a new vision for architecture made possible by these structural systems and materials.”  

For more information on this project, see TensiNet DATABASE - link

About the Speaker Born in 1975, Yuko Nagayama established Yuko Nagayama & Associates in 2002 after working at Jun Aoki & Associates. Her representative works include Teshima Yokoo House, the Japan Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, and two pavilions for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai — the Women’s Pavilion in collaboration with Cartier and the Panasonic Group Pavilion “The Land of NOMO”. Her awards include the JIA Young Architect Award (2014), Yamanashi Cultural Prize of Architecture (2017), Tokyo Architecture Award Excellent Award (2018), Design Award for Light and Lighting Grand Prize (2021), World Architecture Festival Highly Commended (2022), Two-time iF Design Award Winner (2023: JINS PARK Maebashi, 2026: AOI CELESTIE COFFEE ROASTERY), and the 76th MEXT Art Encouragement Newcomer Prize. Her current projects include the TOKYO TORCH Torch Tower. 

The ecological transition demands new ways of designing with less material, lower environmental impact and greater adaptability.

Textile architecture and tensile structures embody this vision, combining lightness, efficiency and innovation to create sustainable building systems.

Find the announcement for the forthcoming edition of Tens.Art, the II-Level Postgraduate Master organised by TextilesHUB Laboratory at Politecnico di Milano, Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering (DABC), with the patronage of the TensiNet Association.

Tens.Art is an advanced educational programme dedicated to tensioned structures, lightweight architecture, textile materials and innovative building-envelope systems. It offers an interdisciplinary perspective that brings together architectural design, structural engineering, material technologies, digital tools, environmental sustainability and the practical experience of leading professionals and companies in the sector.

The Master is intended for graduates and professionals in architecture, engineering, design and related disciplines who wish to develop specialised knowledge and skills in a rapidly evolving international field. Through lectures, workshops, case studies and direct engagement with experts, participants will explore both the cultural and technical dimensions of textile and membrane architecture.

Share this opportunity widely within your professional and academic networks, and with students, graduates, colleagues and practitioners who may be interested in participating.

Further information on the programme, expression of interest and registration procedure is available here (https://www.polimi.it/formazione/formazione-oltre-la-laurea/master-universitari-e-corsi-post-laurea/dettaglio-master/3266). 

Link flyer

tensart-dabc@cise-polimi.it

POLITECNICO MILANO - DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE,
BUILT ENVIRONMENT, AND CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING