ETFE Membrane

Transparent fluoropolymer film inflated into air cushions. Lighter than glass, self-cleaning, and capable of spanning enormous roof structures.

Move over it to light it
Finish
Light
ReadingsIn use 1970 to now
WeightIn between
WarmthCold to the touch
CostIn between
PermanenceIn between
PrecisionMachine-precise
CarbonAmong the highest

Making one kilo releases about 12 kg of CO₂: very high per kilogram, but a roof weighs almost nothing.

It saysLightweight ambitionSelf-cleaning innovationEnclosed spectacle
Best for: Stadiums, Botanical enclosures, Large-span roofs.

01The building that proves it

Eden Project, Cornwall
Photo: Len Williams, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Eden Project
Grimshaw · Cornwall · 2001

ETFE Membrane here: hexagonal ETFE pillows over geodesic biomes.

About the building ↗

02Try it on a board

Pick up to three materials to sit beside etfe membrane. The board shows the styles that use all of them, and writes a prompt you can take to an image or video generator.

ETFE MembraneElectrochromic Glazing
Styles that use all of themNeo-FuturismParametric ArchitectureSustainable Architecture
Setting
Scale
Light
Camera
Output

A house, on a dense urban street. Materials: etfe membrane that reads as lightweight ambition, electrochromic glazing that reads as adaptive intelligence. Golden hour, warm raking light. Eye level from across the street, 35mm. Architectural photograph, medium format, no people, no text.

03The styles built on it

Neo-FuturismBlobitectureBowellism (High-Tech)Parametric ArchitectureSustainable Architecture

04Questions

Which design styles use etfe membrane?

Neo-Futurism, Blobitecture, Bowellism (High-Tech), Parametric Architecture and Sustainable Architecture.

What goes well with etfe membrane?

ETFE Membrane pairs well with tensile fabric, structural steel and carbon fibre composite.

What does etfe membrane communicate?

Lightweight ambition, Self-cleaning innovation and Enclosed spectacle. It suits stadiums, botanical enclosures and large-span roofs.

What is the carbon footprint of etfe membrane?

Making one kilo of etfe membrane releases about 12 kg of CO₂, cradle to gate: very high per kilogram, but a roof weighs almost nothing.

05More glass

Plate GlassGlass BlockLeaded Art GlassStructural GlassElectrochromic Glazing
Every materialOpen the materials sampler →
MarbleLimestoneGraniteTravertineBasaltSandstoneSlateStructural SteelCor-Ten SteelTitaniumCopperWrought IronAnodized AluminumChromeBronzeZinc CladdingCast IronPlate GlassGlass BlockLeaded Art GlassStructural GlassETFE MembraneElectrochromic GlazingOakTeakBambooCedarCLTReclaimed TimberBirch PlywoodPineFired BrickTerracotta TileAdobe BrickCeramic MosaicGlazed FaïenceRoman BrickPolychrome BrickRammed EarthHempcreteClay PlasterLiving Roof SubstrateExposed ConcreteBoard-Formed ConcretePolished ConcretePrecast Concrete PanelGlass-Fibre Reinforced ConcreteSprayed ConcreteFibreglass ShellCarbon Fibre CompositeAluminium Composite PanelTensile FabricPerforated Steel ScreenPolycarbonateVitrolitePorcelain Enamel Panel