Windmill Island

A Perfect Wedding Atmosphere

Created with a Fabric Covered, Steel Truss, Special Events Building

In 1964, the city of Holland, Michigan decided to bring over an authentic windmill from Netherlands. A year later, the city opened the doors of the beautiful Windmill Island, which is now known worldwide for its Tulip Time Festival. Every May, over half a million people are drawn to this part of the USA for the festival.

Not long after the park’s inception, Windmill Island felt the pressure of becoming a fading destination as the attraction's competition grew. "We started to look around at how we could create more revenue," explains Ad van den Akker, Manager of Windmill Island, "Because we have such beautiful manicured gardens here, we came up with the idea about going into the wedding market." The new facility would need to be suitable to create a wedding with an indoor and outdoor atmosphere, as well as fit into the park’s existing buildings.

"After a couple of years we eventually came up with this building," says van den Akker, "We are very proud." The new fabric covered wedding and event facility has increased the competitiveness of this seasonal attraction by allowing the business to extend beyond the summer months. "When people talk about the facility on Windmill Island, they have no clue that the fabric covered building is a permanent structure that stays up through our bad weather here. It works in rain or shine," van den Akker continues, "We can totally open it and it gives the outdoor feeling. When it rains, we can drop the doors and still have the very nice atmosphere. It can handle winds up to 90- 95 mph, snow load, you name it."

Customer response has been positive and that has raised awareness of the facility. "They walk in and say ‘Look at the beautiful soft liners you have in here’. When you go into the wedding market, you have to have that ambience. They fall in love with it at first sight, and that makes it easier for us to sell it," says van den Akker.

The fabric covered building is versatile with several potential applications. "This building, besides the cement slab, can be picked up and moved to wherever you want. You can change it from a wedding pavilion to a storage facility. You can do all kinds of things with it, which is why we love it so much. There are not a lot of buildings out there that give you that flexibility of uses. That is one of the biggest reasons that we ended up with a fabric covered building," explains van den Akker.

"When it rains, we can drop the doors and still have the very nice atmosphere. It can handle winds up to 90 - 95 mph, snow load, you name it. "  - Ad van den Akker

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Lake House Inn

Something Old and Something New

on Lake Nocamixon with a Fabric Covered Special Events Building

Perched on the 1500 acre state park of Lake Nocamixon, sits the Lake House Inn; a facility surrounded by sprawling, lush gardens with an immaculate view of the lake. An ideal setting, decided owner Glen Stevens and his wife, Kate, which had the potential to be a special events venue. Four years of renovations, which included interior and exterior design work to the inn, as well as the installation of a fabric covered building, brought the Stevens’ idea to fruition.

The Lake House Inn, located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is a 200 year old guesthouse and restaurant for visitors. The Stevens decided that they needed a larger structure, in addition to the inn, to hold wedding receptions, elegant affairs and corporate events. After receiving approval from the township to construct a permanent building, the Stevens realized they needed a building that could withstand heavy snowfalls, hot summers, and strong winds. According to Glen Stevens, "The fabric covered building product met all those specifications."

"It’s a great facility and people love it.

It’s very dramatic with high ceilings and the lakeside view.

When guests walk in, we get a lot of ‘Wows’." - Glen Stevens

The Stevens knew that appearance is a key factor in venue selection, which is why they settled on the fabric building. "The liner is attractive. We have theatrical lighting installed so that we can create any color on the ceiling to fit an event’s theme; that’s interchangeable. It’s a great facility and people love it. It’s very dramatic with high ceilings and the lakeside view. When guests walk in, we get a lot of ‘Wows’. It’s really served its purpose in providing a dramatic backdrop for someone’s once-in-a-lifetime wedding, which is a big plus and a great selling point for us," explains Glen.

Having the flexibility to customize and to create a unique setting was important to the Stevens. "From the outside, the fabric building is big and it’s white. Inside it’s completely a blank slate. You can do anything you want with the interior of the structure to customize it to your use. There’s a super structure that you can hang linings and lighting from. We’ve put in glass sliding doors, glass windows, and glass entry doors. There’s a lot more flexibility with this structure than some other products that we looked at," says Glen. The concrete floors, which have resulted in energy savings, keeps the space very cool during the summer. Guests have noticed a glow on the entire surface of the structure when it’s lit from inside, an effect created by the fabric cover's translucent properties. According to Glen, "This effect is really a beautiful thing to see."

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Northwest Washington Fair Stage

Location: Northwest Washington Fairgrounds, Lynden, Washington, USA

Size:  40' W
Application: Event Stage

A Fabric Covered Special Event Feature

at the Fair

When the Northwest Washington Fair needed a new stage cover, they turned to Milestones Building & Design. The design of their new building had to be strong enough to support the heavy lighting that was used during performances, and at the same time light enough to trailer on and off the field. These particular requirements, as well as the unconventional foundation inspired many new and innovative designs, all the while maintaining the fairs strict timeline and budgetary considerations.  The new fabric building is virtually maintenance free, and judging by the great reviews from performers and fans alike will be a hit for years to come. If you would like to learn more about how a fabric covered building can help you contact Milestones Building & Design.

Mercy Me Performing on the WRS fabric covered Stage

Mercy Me Performing on the WRS fabric covered Stage

Terry Clark Performing on the Fabric Covered Stage 

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Fabric covered buildings also provide clear-span, steel-truss, structures for sports events:

Indoor Tennis

Indoor Soccer

University of New Mexico Indoor Football