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Oct. 14, 2014 — Breathtaking sunsets greet guests at Ka'anapali Beach Club on Maui's famous North Shore. But guests will soon also be treated to a stunning new sight — three Birdair canopies.
The crossed-arch PTFE structures will cover the hotel’s three tower central atriums, providing 21,000 square feet of natural daylight with protection for the garden space and guests below. This retrofit project will replace the current space frame structures.
At Ka'anapali Beach Club, guests relax poolside at the acre-wide, lagoon-style pool and enjoy outdoor cafés set amid tropical garden atriums and relaxing waterfalls. The lightweight Birdair canopies, set to be completed in 2015, will allow the enjoyment of the sunlight without the heat, fitting in perfectly with the resort’s exotic-paradise feel.
“The new canopies will complement the comfort, service, and beautiful accommodations that Ka'anali Beach Club provides. We're confident that guests will love the new addition,” said Tom Connell, business development manager for Birdair, Inc.
The leading specialty contractor for custom tensile membrane structures around the world, Birdair was selected for this project because of its expertise and its innovative and beautiful PTFE fiberglass membrane architectural structures.
PTFE, or polytetrafluoroethylene, is a Teflon-coated woven fiberglass membrane that is extremely durable and weather resistant. These canopies not only offer a signature look to the resort, but also provide patrons and employees with much-needed protection from the sunny, hot, and humid Hawaii climate. Birdair will work with Layton Construction to complete the project efficiently while providing a high-quality end product.
Birdair’s PTFE fiberglass membranes can be installed in climates ranging from the frigid arctic to the scorching desert heat, to the hot and humid Hawaii climate, with a project life in some cases exceeding 30 years. The fiber coating is chemically inert, capable of withstanding extreme temperatures. It is also completely immune to dangerous UV radiation. This unique combination of inertness, thermal stability, and surface properties makes Birdair’s PTFE-coated fabric membrane ideal for projects requiring superior weather and fire resistance.
Few products in the commercial building products industry can compare to the attractiveness of a tensioned fabric structure. Birdair’s solutions can literally transform a resort into a first-class vacation destination by providing a dramatic and eye-catching appeal to visitors, a vibrant atmosphere that mesmerizes patrons while creating an upbeat and positive mood, and a unique look that is easily recognizable to the world of the well-traveled.
Fabric structures are not only visually appealing but also environmentally sensitive and economically competitive as well. Lightweight membrane provides a cost-effective solution because it requires less structural steel to support the roof or façade, enabling long spans of column-free space. In addition, membrane offers building owners reduced construction and maintenance costs compared to traditional building materials.
It also adds to energy cost savings as well. PTFE fiberglass is Energy Star and Cool Roof Rating Council certified. During scientific tests of its solar properties, it was discovered that PTFE fiberglass membranes reflect as much as 73 percent of the sun’s energy while holding just 7 percent on its exterior surface. Certain grades of PTFE fiberglass can absorb 14 percent of the sun’s energy while allowing 13 percent of natural daylight and 7 percent of re-radiated energy (solar heat) to transmit through.
