With the rapid growth in the use of fabric structures in Architecture, Engineering and Recreation, the designer is able to make use of a methodology and family of materials not considered feasible before. Architectural membranes
appeal to the designer because of their novelty, their lightness of touch and feel, and their ability to change the space under and around them. They rely on geometric form for their shape, not the designer's whim, which provides a challenge to the designer that other built forms do not. This also means that the designer or architect should work with the engineer at an early stage of the project to ensure the proposal uses a form that can be realised and built. As the surface form can
only be (easily) generated in software, the realisation of the membrane shape is less easy than with traditional materials. This requires the structural design of the project to be totally integrated with the architectural concept.
The designer can use the shape to create an effect that is not just structural or form based. For instance, by combining the translucency of the membrane with the inclusion of (for example), light wells to achieve new dimensions in the use of space. Fabric
structures present designers with unique challenges; the designer must understand the principles that determine the form, as the shapes of membrane structures cannot be dictated by looks alone, and must follow engineering principle and practice to work successfully. In the design and engineering of fabric membranes architecture combines the talents of the artist and the artisan in a very pure and unique fashion. The artist cannot work on looks alone without considering the geometric form of
the surface. The artisan cannot reasonably produce a decent form without considering the artistic considerations. | 
