Athletic coverage in Canada

Published On: March 1, 2010

The Talisman Centre for Sport and Wellness, a full-service Calgary, Alberta, Canada, athletic facility hosting Olympic-caliber competitors, will upgrade its 1983 fabric roof by installing a material with five times the insulating value. Birdair Inc., Amherst, N.Y., began work on the 162,000-square-foot roof in January, using the company’s Tensotherm™ with Nanogel® architectural composite membrane system.

By sandwiching the Nanogel insulating gel layer between two layers of structural PTFE fabric, Birdair can bring substantial benefits and cost savings to the sports facility. The combined layers are thin and lightweight, putting less pressure on the stadium; the combination delivers an R-12 insulation value, reducing heat and cooling costs; the roof will allow natural light transmission, reducing daytime lighting costs; the system offers maximum moisture control, eliminating condensation; and the roof attenuates sound. The roof is part of a $45 million renovation of the Talisman Centre, for which the City of Calgary is seeking LEED Silver Certification for the overall sustainability of the project.