In the 10 years that Legacy Building Solutions has been creating our buildings, many of the innovations we have incorporated into our structures are quite environmentally sustainable. Almost all raw materials used in the Legacy building from steel to fabric are recyclable. Additionally the reflective nature of the fabric reflects heat from the building thus reducing potential cooling costs.
Natural Light
Our fabric roof and wall panels let in natural light. The Exxotec™ fabric we use in our buildings is translucent and also blocks UV rays. Originally a benefit for our equestrian buildings because the natural light without shadows helps horses to remain calm, it’s turned out to be a great aesthetic benefit for employees who work in those structures as well. The environmental savings in a naturally lit building means less energy consumed.
Passive Ventilation
We typically design our buildings with eaves. These roof overhangs have a lot of benefits, including passive ventilation. The soffits in our eaves draw in air as the warm air inside the building leaves through roof vents. This circulation keeps our building well ventilated and dry, but in some cases, clients can forego mechanical ventilation because the passive works so well. That was the case in the cargo storage facility we built for Ontario International Airport in California.
Off The Grid
The combination of natural light and passive ventilation means our clients can have a building that’s completely off the grid. That’s almost the very definition of environmental sustainability. Besides saving on upfront costs, and ongoing energy costs, this gives clients the option to locate our buildings almost anywhere.
Roof supports solar panels
The roofs of our structures are tensioned over solid steel beams. We use solid steel for many reasons, but one of the benefits is our roofs and walls are strong enough to support a wide variety of equipment. A lot of clients hang conveyors, cranes, mezzanines and other heavy structures from our beams, so mounting solar panels to our roof beams is also an option. That’s just what Solar Ship, an off-grid aircraft assembly company, did.
Maintenance-free
The fabric on our buildings is tough, but it also resists dirt. It’s easily rinsed off by rain. Unlike buildings with traditional materials like steel, wood or brick, our fabric exteriors don’t rust, peel, chip or require repainting. That doesn’t just save you a great deal of time and labor, it’s good for the environment.
Warmer in winter/cooler in the summer
Unlike traditional materials like steel, Exxotec™ doesn’t conduct as much heat or cold from the outside to the inside of the building. That keeps our structures cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, which generates energy savings for you and the environment.
Clean Construction
Finally, when our crews install a building, there’s not much waste when they are done. Our steel arrives at the site completely fabricated and our fabric wall and roof panels do too. Everything is assembled and, at the end of the project, any waste can be packed up in a crate and removed. With traditional buildings, the waste stream from a project can be substantial; with tension fabric buildings, there’s very little left over material.
As we have improved the durability and quality of our structures, we have also incorporated environmental sustainability into our designs, our manufacturing and our construction. Together, they make our buildings part of a brighter future.
