Niagara Outlet Collection Shoppers Protected by Birdair Canopies

Opened May 15, 2014, the Outlet Collection at Niagara features 102 retailers and approximately 23,000 square feet of PTFE fiberglass membrane walkway canopies by Birdair. The membrane canopies exhibit a flying-mast cone design that provides relief from the elements and creates a signature look for the shopping center.

“Niagara Outlet customers will enjoy the beauty of Birdair’s PTFE membrane walkways canopies,” said Joseph Gray, Senior Project Manager, Birdair North America. “But it’s the protection from the weather that they will especially appreciate. PTFE membrane is a very durable and weather-resistant material—perfect for this project.”

A Unique Shopping Experience

Located beside the Queen Elizabeth II Highway, less than 20 kilometers from the U.S. border, the 520,000 square foot shopping center in Niagara-on-the-Lake features 102 retailers including some Canadian firsts: the first Pandora outlet, White House Black Market outlet, and Bass Pro Shops Outpost in Canada. Other sought-after brands at the center include Kate Spade Outlet, NIKE Factory Store, Calvin Klein Outlet and Michael Kors Outlet.

Outlet Collection at Niagara is the largest open-air outlet mall in Canada. Additionally, its size and development costs, approaching $200 million, make it one of the largest investments in Niagara-on-the-Lake’s history.

The Niagara Outlet Collection was developed by Ivanhoé Cambridge, an experienced Canadian shopping center and outlet mall developer, and one of the ten largest global investors in real estate. The developer designed the mall to attract shoppers and visitors who might have otherwise crossed the U.S. border to shop in the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls, the Walden Galleria or the Boulevard Mall. David Baffa, Ivanhoe Cambridge senior vice president of retail development said that the developer wants the new outlet collection to be part of the Niagara experience.

The area surrounding the Niagara Outlet Collection will benefit from the increased tourism and finances, as well as the 1,500 new retail jobs created by the outlets.

Environmentally-Friendly Facility

Outlet Collection at Niagara is committed to corporate responsibility and environmental sustainability, and has a number of design features throughout the property to raise awareness of its green initiatives. Birdair’s canopies make the open-air concept of the Outlet Collection at Niagara possible, reducing energy consumption because the common areas do not need to be heated or cooled. Some of the public buildings like guest services and the eatery have been designed so that they can be opened to the outdoors in favorable weather, thus saving energy and connecting people to outdoors.

For water conservation, low flow plumbing fixtures have been used in the public restrooms. Microclover was used in place of sod for landscaping as that ensures greener areas with lesser irrigation and maintenance requirements. All parking, lighting and wall mounted lights in the Outlet are LED in lieu of HID, providing additional energy savings. 100 bicycle parking spaces are provided to promote biking to Outlet Collection at Niagara, and low-emissivity (low-e) glazing has been used on all storefronts to create a better building envelope. A designated area for seasonal Farmer’s Markets at the center promotes local and organic growth.

“As a company that is committed to environmental sustainability, Birdair is proud to be a part of the Outlet Collection at Niagara’s environmentally-friendly solutions,” added Gray.

The Perfect Product

Ivanhoé Cambridge tapped Birdair for their design and installation expertise as well as their unique PTFE membrane canopies. PTFE, or polytetrafluoroethylene, is a Teflon®-coated woven fiberglass membrane that is extremely durable and weather resistant. PTFE fiberglass membranes can be installed in climates ranging from the frigid arctic to the scorching desert heat with a project life in some cases exceeding 30 years. Accordingly, PTFE will provide plenty of protection to shoppers in Canada, whether it’s January or July.

PTFE fiberglass coating is chemically inert, and the low-surface free energy of the material creates a surface which is readily cleaned by rainwater. It is also completely immune to UV radiation. This unique combination of inertness, thermal stability and surface properties make Birdair’s PTFE-coated fabric membrane ideal for projects requiring superior weather endurance and fire resistance.

PTFE fiberglass is additionally Energy Star and Cool Roof Rating Council certified. During scientific tests of its solar properties, it was discovered that PTFE fiberglass membranes reflect as much as 73 percent of the sun’s energy while holding just 7 percent on its exterior surface. Certain grades of PTFE fiberglass can absorb 14 percent of the sun’s energy while allowing 13 percent of natural daylight and 7 percent of re-radiated energy (solar heat) to transmit through.

Teflon® is a registered trademark of E. I. Du Pont De Nemours and Company, Delaware.