‘In 1970 Gordon B Holcombe a pioneer in the design and construction of buildings utilizing coated fabrics predicted that,’ “Before the year 2000 the house you live in may come in a can of liquid and a roll of fabric-and be inflated like a balloon. And by the end of this decade, everything from your drinking water and the pools your children swim in and acre-size farms will be protected by air-supported domes.” Speciality Fabrics Review August 2008

As part of the Art on the Edge Festival which was held at the Progress Energy Performing Arts Center in Raleigh this past weekend, the Architects of Air put up a 10,000 sq ft installation called Levity III which brought to reality all the possibilities imagined by Mr. Holcombe more than 35 years ago. This was truly one of the highlights of my summer as I was inspired by the captivating color scape and the energy that playfully moved within. It was great to see the potential of material through imaginative architecture. Now my vision of an inflatable ‘Nap Pod’ seems a bit more feasible.