Form Finding: Process through which the balanced shape of a membrane construction is discovered. Optimum functionality minimal expenditure on construction and to a limit extend, formal criteria are what determine the parameters.

Form: The balanced shape of a membrane construction.

Pre-stressing: A state of tension in two axes deliberately introduced in a membrane construction with negligible dead weight.

Patterning: The geometric representation of surfaces or parts of surfaces of membrane on a single plane as the basis for the production of spatially curved surfaces. The sizes calculated takes into account the respective state of pre-stressing.

Reinforcement: Generally, a main membrane strengthened by additional pieces of material. Positioned at areas of concentrated local tension.

PVC material: PVC is soft and pliable which enables it to conform to the shapes required of TFS. It is resistant to UV light and is available in practically any color. It is most commonly used with nylon or polyester fabrics.

Teflon (PTFE): PTFE is chemically inert, resistant to moisture and micro-organisms and has low deterioration with age. It is currently available only in white.

ETFE: It 's a chemically inert material: it means  that is insensitive to chemical agents combining  surface tension and resistance to environmental pollution. 

Compensation:  The shortening of lenghts of membrane in cutting, different in the warp and weft directions, to compensate for the expansion of the membrane. The expansion that is taken into account results primarily from the prestressing. The initial expansions of a fabric when it is first spanned and, in a number of cases, the creep of the material are also taken into account.