The two-way stretch fabric knit was stiffened on several occasions. Though many chemical hardeners were tried, the most reliable was a commercial epoxy resin which, applied by brush to the fabric held in tension, hardened the membrane to the rigidity of a self-supporting shell.
Inquiries along these lines led to industries unrelated to housing who are already using materials, adhesives, and coatings that would be applicable to hardened membranes as well. Lightweight honeycomb tiles used in the airplane industry come in a variety of sizes and thickness, and are semi-flexible by nature. Applied to both sides of a stiffened membrane or mesh, such tiles would thicken the shell and make it suitable for structures larger in scale. The openings in the exterior honeycomb layer could be filled with cement, then surfaced with stucco, shingles, or scales of any material, or brick, marble, or glass units to waterproof the undulating wall; and the honeycomb tiles applied to the interior could be filled with plaster and treated like any conventional surface. Though I am not aware of a commercially available fabric suitable for such installations, related industries would have no difficulty to come up with a stretchable steel or monofilament knit, mesh, or netting designed especially for that purpose (see Fabric: Requirements of an Ideal Architectonic Fabric).
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