Abdul Kayum [Architecture Dissertation]
AERODROME METAMORPHOSIS. A COMPARATIVE DISCUSSION ON 21ST CENTURY AIRPORT MODELS.
ABSTRACT
Aerodrome Metamorphosis. A comparative discussion on 21st Century airport models.
Today airport terminals are constantly transforming to accommodate both technological devel-
opment, and regulatory changes. The continual growth in the aerodrome dynamic requires terminals to run consistently, be planned thoroughly, and operate with a certain measure of flexibility. This notion has been acknowledged by many theorists and architects who apply frequent flexibility to both modes of transport and residential areas. However, it is a combining of transport with the social fabrics that create an ideal environment in which the user experience can correspond with the ever-changing surroundings, but whether airports adhere to these ‘ideal’ conditions are often questionable. This dissertation will provide an overview on how efficient airport terminals are, and their connection to social fabric, challenging specific themes such as user journey will allow me to conclude and suggest further adaptations to an ever-changing transport environment. Primary methods of research, consisting of Likert scale questionnaires have been transformed into graphs, to enable a comparison of current themes applicable with design concepts of aerodrome metamorphosis based around passenger activity. I can be inferred from the results how two fast-paced, modern airports to assist in the understanding of the ‘ideal’ airport with differing dynamics in an attempt to assess current models and how future models will have to progress to further the user experience.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express gratitude to everyone who supported me throughout this dissertation, and appreciative for their aspiring guidance, invaluable constructive criticism and friendly advice during this research project. I am thankful for all the participants who took part in the Likert scale questionnaire and were able to give me a sincere response and illuminating views of the subject topic, which undeniably contributed to my findings. I would also like to thank my project external guide for provided great feedback and guidance.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 3 CHAPTER ONE: Introduction 5 Object of study Interpretive ideas Necessity of flexibility Future Proposal CHAPTER TWO: Literature Review 8 Moshoeshoe I. International Airport Tenzing-Hilary Airport Zaha Hadid Beijing airport Survarnabhumi International Airport Shenzhen Bao’an international Airport CHAPTER THREE: Methodology 13 Likert Scales CHAPTER FOUR: Results and Discussion Navigation Facilities Accessibility User Journey Ambience Drivers of Change
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CHAPTER FIVE: Conclusion and Recommendations Alternative transport systems
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BIBLIOGRAPHY 24
CHAPTER ONE: Introduction
Objects of study
Airports have long been understood as places where aircrafts operate, this includes runways,
terminals, control towers and other facilities. Like cities, Airports are never static; they are continuously growing in form and function to be able to provide an efficient service and transition for the members. Evolving in a largely organic manner to meet the growing air travel consumer demands and airport revenue needs. Airport terminals have hence morphed into luxury transportation hubs developing significant non-aeronautical facilities, services and revenue streams. This is due to a higher demand in air travel providing various amenities to keep passengers engaged prior to flying. A clear example of this is the Singapore Changi, it offers a diverse experience within each of their terminals, providing a wider selection of shopping, dining and relaxation options such as a movie theatre, koi pond and a tropical butterfly forest. The rise in these vast amounts of facilities can also be lead to an Aerotropolis; an airport city at its core which is surrounded by clusters of aviation-related enterprises. These related trends have led to the emergence of a new form of airport-centric commercial development. This expansion has therefore enabled for an improved user experience. However, airport users are becoming more demanding, and there is an increasing focus on speeding up passengers processing through check-in, bag drop, security and passport control, most evident from check-in requirements for international flight reducing from 4 hours to 3 hours. In response to this a strategic imperative is evolving for airports to rethink the customer experience further. One key component “is streamlining the core passenger processes through physical design changes, technology enhancements and information provision which will improve the passenger journey”. (Talwar. R, 2011) Airports have technologically advanced over time into key nodes of global production systems; offering speed, agility and connectivity. Two ways in which these can be identified are through biometric technology and augmented reality. Updated systems such as biometric technology enables passengers to reduce time spent at passport control. “The trend towards biometric enabled processing can be seen around the world” (Initiatives, 2018). By implementing a system by which your face becomes your passport, biometrics based recognition has been integrated into airport lounges and is soon to be used on board to simplify in flight purchases. In addition to biometrics, another factor contributing to the technological advancement of airports is augmented reality. Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that superimposes a simulated image on a user’s view of the real world, allowing a composite view. An example of this can be seen from Gatwick Airport unveiling blue dot navigation and AR wayfinding which allows passengers to use their personal camera to view AR directions to find wherever they need to go within an airport terminal.
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Within early aviation, international airports were referred to as airfields or aerodromes. Due to the limited infrastructure, international airports occasionally serve military as well as commercial purposes. An example of this can be seen in the late 1950s, where Canton Island Airport (Phoenix Islands) were used as a refueling stop by commercial aircrafts, after serving as a military airport in World War II. Nevertheless, we can now see the advancements made within aviation; the Aerotropolis approach to urban living is already in process and is reshaping life in Beijing, Amsterdam and many more major cities. Interpretive ideas There has been much debate and concerns on the expansion of airports and how this will affect social fabrics. Social fabrics can be referred to as how well community members are able to interact amongst themselves which is dependent on how the space and environment influences them. In many cases, we refer to the individual as a ‘thread’ whereby the social fabric is therefore achieved by having those members interact. It can be argued that Airports are no longer a place where planes just take off and land. The aviation policy framework sets out the government policy to allow the aviation sector to continue to make significant contributions to the economic growth across the country, which in turn can either have a positive or negative effect of the social fabrics. Airports have evolved into key business enterprises with spatial impacts and functional implications that extend deep into metropolitan areas. Within the UK, there has been much debate over the expansion on London city airports. With Heathrow and Gatwick “operating at 98 per cent of its capacity for more than a decade” (Swinford, S, Wilkinson, M, 2016), demand for air travel and the expansion of these airports are a vital process to run aviation efficiently. According to the Telegraph “Travel firms have described the third runway as “essential” to boosting the economy” (Swinford, S, Wilkinson, M, 2016). However, according to the department for transport figures, “it has been argued that Heathrow generates 50% of UK aviation emissions. This makes 6% of total emissions” (BBC News, 2009). The claims regarding pollution concerns have been overplayed as by 2020, when the potential expansion would be completed, we would expect a lot of changes within flight technology, meaning planes will be much quieter and less pollution. (BBC News, 2009).
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Necessity of flexibility Made up of several complex systems, an airport serves a duty to be both flexible, and interactive providing a clear sense services made to assist the individual. “Flexibility is the ability to adapt continuous changing requirements and conditions of the environment” (Cowee & Schwehr, 2009) and respond to changing situations (Kronenburg, 2007). Systematic of the cities they serve, an airport must therefore grow with the environmental space it encompasses, as social fabric expected to be an “infrastructure typically designed for a 20 to 50-year lifespan” (Edwards, 2005). In order to adhere to the social fabric, a continual technological advancement is often required. Clearly evident by the rapid advancements of passenger tracking, self –check-in services and an overall increase in communicational systems, airports in general work as fast paced as the world around them. Future Proposals We can already see proposals put forth as a solution to the ever-growing social fabric. The Thames Estuary airport plan (2011) proposed by Fosters and Partners, was planned to “include a £20 billion high-speed orbital rail line around London, a new £6 billion Thames barrier and crossing, and a £20 billion international estuary airport including 4 runways with an annual capacity of 150 million passengers” (Tewdwr-Jones. M, Phelps. N, 2014, p212). If this expansion was to go forward, it would hence provide significant economic benefits which would tackle issues relating not only to noise pollution, but also to the “regeneration of Heathrow providing new homes and jobs to support a population of 200,000”. (BBC News, 2016). Despite this plan being rejected for being too ambitious by the Airport Commission in 2014 stating that it was “financially, geographically and environmentally wrong”, recent politicians have acted within its favor stating that “if we are to secure the connectivity we need to support our future growth and prosperity and do so without dire impacts on public health – then we must do better than Heathrow” (BBC News, 2016). This dissertation will explore a comparative discussion on 21st century airports. With reference to airport metamorphosis and social fabrics. My literature review will focus on the most renown global airports, and the effects on social fabrics not only in London, but worldwide. I will then progress to conduct my methodology which will focus upon improving the user experience of airports within London and Berlin; producing both qualitative and quantitative data analysis. I hope to provide a user comparison in the findings and discussion section of this dissertation, and I will further adapt my writing to an interpretation of future fabrics through the understanding of a perfect airport dynamic.
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CHAPTER TWO: Literature Review
This literature review will explore a series of airport models and concepts that will help iden-
tify a strategic solution to air travel. I will begin with a background into general successive and developing airports outlining a journey through airport proposals and their implications on social fabrics. This will feature specific focus around Zaha Hadid’s Beijing airport, Suvarnabhumi International Airport following a comparison of this with Moshoeshoe Airport, Lesotho and the Tenzing-Hilary Airport of Nepal. In this chapter I will conduct an in-depth analysis of these examples, and will explore how the design elements of the airports can affect the way a user behaves. This will hence produce different interpretations of how social fabrics are being constructed, looking at various airports from varying locations and differing surrounding environments that help to shape the social fabric associated with airports. Through conducting this research, I have been able to shape my own interpretations which will justify further the development of this dissertation and the understanding of the perfect airport dynamic. Moshoeshoe I. International Airport, Lesotho Serving the capital of Lesotho, the Moshoeshoe International Airport exists as one of the smallest airports recorded having only one airport terminal which is “currently operating at less than 50% utilization level with only two outbound and inbound flights a day” (Angelo A. C ed. 2015). Whilst this is one of the smallest airports, the facilities included do not lack from the ordinary. Providing users with luggage facilities, bureau de change systems, gift shops, travel agents, and bars and restaurants, the general layout of the airport is small, however there is a lack of apparent need to expand on the airports facilities in general. This may be due to low interaction within the airports from passengers. Tenzing-Hilary Airport – Nepal airport Built by Sir Edmund Hillary in 1965, the Lukla Airport exists amongst some of the most obscure, earning its title as the “world’s most dangerous airport” (Kannampilly, A. 2015). Situated in Nepal, this airport is specialized to accommodate those vising Mt. Everest. Due to this, the airport is designed to fit between mountains with short length runways and limited electrical power, providing environments that are often highly dangerous for passengers commuting to and from this destination.
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Image Source: https://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2016-04-12/this-is-the-worlds-most-dangerous-airport Away from its dangerous surroundings, there are a variety of shops and lodges catering to tourists and trekkers, providing western-style meals and trail supplies within the region surrounding the airport. This serves the primary service of maintaining refugee camps for those looking to summit Mt. Everest. The airport itself however is very limited in terms of its facilities and catering for the passengers. “There is just a single terminal for arrivals and departures, and the same is also used for cargo coming into Lukla” (Sang, K, 2017). Within these terminals, the facilities are even more limited leaving customers without announcement systems or transitional guidance assistance, causing many to miss flights. Tied in with this failing system, the lack of accommodation within the airport leaves passengers to stay in the surrounding region. Therefore, undefined by its city; this airport can be explained as less of an Aerotropolis, but instead more of an ‘aero-refuge’ due to its primary functions unrelated to that of an airport.
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Zaha Hadid Beijing Airport Zaha Hadid Architects was responsible for the Beijing airport plan which is projected to be opened in 2019. Beijing’s new international airport will serve the world’s fastest growing aviation sector with the intentions of alleviating “some of the congestion at the overcrowded Beijing capital international airport, and offer rail connections to the city center” (Ro, L.2017). This aesthetically pleasing design has been proposed to be extremely user focused and efficient and therefore adaptable for future growth. Its 6-pier radial design provides a convenient and flexible operation which runs from within.
Source Image: http://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/beijing-new-airport-terminal-building/ The terminal guides all passengers seamlessly through the relevant departure, arrival or transfer zones towards the grand courtyard at its center. The design takes the principles from traditional Chinese architecture that organize interconnected spaces around a central courtyard. This radial design strategy allows for shorter distances between check-in and gate, and this in turn reduces the amount of time for passengers to transfer between gates.
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Further analysis of the design brings us to the flowing parabolic folds within the terminals vaulted roof which extends to the ground to support the structure and allows for natural light to pass through within. Natural light plays a major role within a space besides being an energy saving element. It has many health benefits which impact all users of the airport, as it has been reported that “day lit environments increase occupant productivity and comfort and provide the mental and visual stimulation necessary to regulate human circadian rhythm” (Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg, 2014), which is very key within a 24-hour airport environment. Suvarnabhumi International Airport The Suvarnabhumi international airport develops a terminal/pier concept, which places importance on the clarity of passenger circulation over aircraft circulation. The airport can accommodate a maximum capacity of “120 million annual passengers” (Archi Daily, 2015) after phased expansion. There are many benefits to the new airport design designed by JAHN architects. The main terminal roof is designed with structural elements and bays placed as a cantilever representing this wavelike form; which appears to “float” over the concourse beneath, which was designed to express the former essence of the site. Openness, comprehension and experience of the open spaces, “the gesture of the roof and spaces as memorable images and the way the blurring of the boundaries between public and private space make an airport terminal a model of a ‘Mini-City’”. (Welch, A, 2008) “Like in a city the experience leads through squares, streets and rooms for transportation, commerce and private uses”. (Welch, A, 2008) Helmut Jahn’s vision sort to be a structure with performance. Its many conventional roles provide users with comfort and convenience. By using water, Jahn was able to create an environment suitable for it users as a low energy carrier. Another sustainable element in its design is that it uses low e-coated glass façade systems which maximizes daylight use in comfort with substantial energy life-cycle cost savings. “Reduced up to 50% compared to a conventional system” (Krab, D.C. 2013). Thus, proving that a sustainable approach to reducing the airports carbon footprint will undeniably benefit the users. “A structure with performance materials that serve in their total composition and use more than their conventional roles” (Krab, D.C. 2013). Besides the airport being predominantly passenger focused. “The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says Suvarnabhumi airport has inadequate capacity and substandard taxiways.” (BBC News, 2016). The airport was opened 10 years ago and is Thailand’s main international gateway, however IATA claim that it is now operating beyond its capacity and will need expanding to meet the international standards. “Today, it is beset by two-hour immigration queues, passenger numbers far beyond capacity and a crisis over management”. (Lefevre, A.S. 2012). The situation is a safety risk. The astonishing power that aircrafts need to use around soft spots and extra towing are exposing ground personnel, ground equipment and the aircraft to safety risks.
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Source Image: http://www.fuksas.com/en/Projects/Shenzhen-Bao%E2%80%99an-International-Airport-Terminal-3-Shenzhen Passengers check in for their flights at cross-border terminals which are located inside shopping malls and transportation hubs. They can also check in at hotels in most neighbourhoods. They then board a bus to the border to go through immigration, then get a second transfer which takes them to the airport for their flight. This systematic way of checking in reduces the amount of time the conventional airports tend to take. In response to a sustainable design and performance, Terminal 3 set new standards for green aviation designs in China: “reducing energy consumption while rainwater is recycled in toilets and used to water indoor plants” (Blake, M, 2013). Furthermore, unlike the Suvarnabhumi airport, the capacity of this airport is looking to expand to support the growing population’s needs by 2020, thus suggesting the importance of a flexibility within airport design. However there have been many flaws with this newly developed airport “The airport’s lack of commercial interest is in stark contrast to other travel hubs in China where, in the first 10 months of 2013, passenger traffic rose 11 per cent to 297.6 million”. (Blake, M, 2013) Moreover flights only go to regional destinations such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
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CHAPTER THREE: Methodology
From a comparative discussion on 21st century airport models, this dissertation aims to out-
line the different notions of which airports undertake in order enable a sustainable infrastructure which places importance on passenger journey; taking into account of how the space and its functions might influence the user. Understanding the social fabric and the experiences participants felt through their own perspectives will enable me to collect first hand data based around real life experiences in an interpretive manner. “Interpretivism thus focuses on values, meanings and motivations, and on interactions within everyday life, in order to understand the social world” (Hughes. J, 2012, p14). In order to adhere to these values, I have decided to conduct my methodology to progress to the findings and discussion chapter through the means of questionnaires and Likert scales. “A Likert scale is a scaling procedure that offers the respondents the opportunity to express their opinion in a continuum that starts from a low negative response to a high positive response” (Madu, C, 2003, p9). The data collected will then be formed into a series of illustrations and infographics which will further allow an analysis of my findings to be concluded. In terms of gathering data suggestive of the passenger journey and overall user experience, it was decided that collecting data first-hand from travelers would represent an accurate cross section of the population in my findings. Likert Scales Through using questionnaires, I will be able to gain first hand qualitative data which I can quantify. There are many benefits of using questionnaires, for example they have “an advantage over the absolute yes or no response format since we can assess the strength of the responses provided by the respondent” (Madu, C, 2003, p9). I decided to use questionnaires as my main research technique as it will enable standardization from a range of airport users who will be asked the same questions despite their different/similar viewpoints. Based on this, I will use a Likert scale which based on the practicality of using a questionnaire; will enable easy to quantify results. Using a questionnaire will provide my respondents with optional anonymity through which they will be able to share personal views of an unbiased nature.
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My questions consist of 10 questions placed into a Likert scale with additional writing lines included for varying answers. The questions are all focused around the airport and the user experience. “Many of the qualitative analysis methods can be grouped by types of thematic analysis, in which themes are sensed through a review of data” (Kerren. A, Stasko. J, Fekete. J.D, North. C eds. 2008). Due to this, consistent themes within airports and users had to be established in order to provide relevant questions to my participants. In order to gain valid data for the findings and discussion section of this dissertation, I classified these themes to focus around navigation, accessibility, the user journey, facilities, and ambience. Quantifying the data which can then be converted into a series of graphs will make it easier to compare the themes between the locations chosen. However, whilst there are many benefits for using questionnaires for this type of research process, some suggest that using questionnaires leave the respondents open to variations of misinterpretation of questions therefore, “to avoid possible misinterpretation, care must be taken in analysing these types of data” (Bishop, A.P, Herron, L.R. 2015) However, to overcome this, I will be administering the questionnaires face to face, going to both Gatwick and Schonefeld airport to hand out these questionnaires personally and to avoid any misunderstanding, I will be present to break down the questions to ensure they understand.
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CHAPTER FOUR: Results & Discussion
As airports are ever growing and evolving to meet the requirements of customer satisfaction, I
believe that to achieve a representation of an ideal airport model, we first need to understand the different implications that come from current airports. The type of questionnaire which was conducted is a Likert scale questionnaire. This particular method enabled me to quantify the results, allowing me to analyze and compare the data effectively. As a result, from the questionnaires it can be inferred that there is empirical evidence to suggest a clear divide of results regarding passenger experience between both international airports. The results collected were based on a randomised selection, this enabled a higher completion rate amongst participants; consisting of 10 passengers flying from London Gatwick Airport into Berlin Schonefeld airport and a further 10 passengers flying from Schonefeld to Gatwick. These results I believe can be placed into classified themes which can be used as an example of guidelines for an ideal airport and user experience. The themes I have chosen to categorize my findings are navigation, accessibility, the user journey, facilities, and ambience.
FIGURE 1
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Navigation The results showed how passengers experienced better navigation in Gatwick in comparison to Schonefeld airport. For example, for whilst conducting my questionnaire I asked two questions based around the topic of navigation, the first one being “How easy was it to navigate your way around the airport?”. Based on results from ( figure 1) the participants flying from London Gatwick experienced a more effective way of navigation with a total of 81% in comparison to Schonefeld airport with 78%. Reasons to suggest why Gatwick may have scored higher is due to factors such as signage, as one participated stated that ‘Signage made wayfinding more easy’ (Participant Response 7). Other elements which may also reinforce these results can be staff, and familiarisation of the space, the general layout of Gatwick airport is shown to be larger and more space efficient, resulting in a greater aid of participant navigation. Schonefeld results showed participants experiencing a higher levels convenience, in regard to durations and access from check-in and departures, with scores of 77% compared to Gatwick with a score of 75%. The causation of these results was due to the overall design layout of Schonefeld airport whereby in scale, Schonefeld was considerably smaller. This correlated to a reduced journey time between check-in and departure which provide customer convenience. From the results collected around the topic of navigation, we can see a distinct comparison relating to the design and scale of an airport. Gatwick airport consists of two terminals. The focal point of assessment was based on the North Terminal, which covers an area of 98,000 m2 (Reference), therefore with a larger site to cover it is evident that more signage and navigational aid is prominent within Gatwick North Terminal. However, it can be argued that the time between check-in and departure can be improved with evidence from Schonefeld airport, being smaller in scale provided a quicker check-in to departure time which reflects a more efficient user experience. Facilities The results from questions that focused on facilities that are available for passengers to experience prior to boarding such as, leisure, dining, shopping and entertainment. Gatwick scored an overwhelming 78% in comparison 38% in Schonefeld. This may be due to nature of the infrastructures and the number of terminals, it is evident that London Gatwick would have to provide a larger variety of shops to accommodate for people. However, this topic is open to interpretation. From content analysis, it was evident that many people entered retail shops and food stores however, were then left waiting for some time before there departed flights. Therefore, It can be argued that the facilities within both airports in Europe are not efficient enough to keep passengers busy before their flights, suggesting that there is still room for improvement to perfect these airport models.
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Accessibility According to the Civil Aviation Authority, improving the accessibility of air travel is a key priority. For disabled passengers and those with mobility restrictions it is important that accessibility is an easy process when flying. “More than three million people requested extra help at UK airports in 2016, up from 2.7 million the previous year.” (Fremantle, J.,2018). A series of questionnaires were handed out to both able and disabled passengers in order to gain an understanding of how both airports deal with the issue of accessibility. The results showed that majority of passengers found that London Gatwick airport was more user friendly in terms of accessibility (83%), in comparison to Schonefeld, where by passengers did not find it as easily accessible. Reasons to suggest this can be referred to participant responses stating that ‘There are multiple access routes’ to enter into Gatwick. Due to the nature and capacity of Gatwick it was evident that there was an increased number of escalators and lifts for people to use, therefore making navigation and wayfinding and easier experience as evidence previously suggested where Gatwick scored a high rate 78%, when navigating around the airport to get to the desired destination. The User Journey To understand the user journey throughout travelling through airports, I asked a series of questions that focused on personal user experiences. One of them being ‘How has the airport effected your mood’. The Likert scale allowed me to assess mood on a scale from 1 – 10, 1 being not at all, and 10 being a lot. As a result, it was clear that passengers felt that Gatwick airports had an impact on the passenger’s mood with 64%, in comparison to passengers in Schonefeld airport, who had a total of 50% feeling that their mood was affected by their airport experience. This was determined by a measuring natural light, ambience, navigation and facilities. These results are reinforced by percentages scored from each classified category, for example when measuring the ambience of an airport, passengers favoured the ambience provided within Gatwick airport with a highlighted percentage of 49% as opposed to Schonefeld with only 39% stating that there was a comforting ambience, suggesting that the varying themes all impact the passenger’s user journey. From this, I asked my next question which further explores this theme; ‘Has the airport created a positive feel to your journey’. Passengers preferred Schonefeld airport with a total of 43% in comparison to Gatwick with 40%. This was due to the scale of the airport itself, as there was a reduced travel time between check-in and departure. Both airports scored relatively low scores, evidence provided from participants stated that ‘too much artificial light’ had an impact on how positive the user journey was.
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Gatwick participants expressed 67% of overcrowding. Displaying more overcrowding within the airport, in comparison to 37% with Berlin. This shows that, despite having facilities to aid passengers into a better user experience, it is evident that overcrowding will impact on the positivity and mood of the passenger. Ambience In order to assess how the participants felt about the atmosphere within the airports, I asked ‘How comforting was the ambience of the airport’? The responses suggested that participant preferred the ambience of Gatwick airport in comparison to Schonefeld. 49% of passengers confirmed they had a more positive experience which was related to their exposure to natural light within the airport and familiarity with the airport as some participants have a used the airport before for journeys. However, these results are contradicted by the participants response about how the felt towards noise pollution. Schonefeld highlighted better results, showing 36% felt noise pollution did not have an impact om their journey. However, compared to 66% in Gatwick, who felt that this was an issue. This could be due to the nature and scale of the airport as a larger airport equates to more passengers resulting into an increased amount of noise pollution. In summary of the results, there is clear distinction between both European airports as most passengers showed a more positive response towards London Gatwick, in comparison to Berlin Schonefeld whereby passengers felt less impacted by the nature of the airport. This overall viewpoint has been interpreted from the results table generated from Likert scales, which have taken into consideration a variety of themes such as; navigation, facilities, accessibility, user journey and ambience. These elements allowed me to assess the overall user experience that passengers go through from on a day to day basis within airports. The results concluded indicate a representation of passenger satisfaction; with a positive direction for both airports. From this, I can therefore see that aviation design has progressed to adapt to the forever growing aerodrome dynamic. However, there is need for clear improvement across both airports which can be seen through speculative plans for the development within aviation. These three factors improve on the aspects of the user experience through facilities, aviation and navigation: Mood measurement My findings analysed the ambience through asking questions associated with mood, comfort, and the ‘feel’ of an airport. From this, it was clear that a passenger’s overall user experience was affected by their mood. Speculative plans from Initiative (2016) focus on adapting mood measurement through digital signage. By using heightened technology; embedding facial recognition intelligence to measure a variety of passenger elements, airport software can analyse age, gender and mood. This will in turn allow the airport to “understand more about passenger profiles and to identify potential areas for improvement” (Initiatives, 2016).
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Intelligent, autonomous transport Navigation is vital to a passenger’s experience and the overall user journey. As discussed previously in my findings, a shortened navigational transition through airports terminals improved the passengers individual experience. With some of the most renown airports expected to expand, “proposals will transform passenger experience, support airport growth and, improve journeys and provide a boost to the local, regional and national economy.� (Smith, R, 2018), the future of airport navigation will need to correlate with the changes. Predicted plans from Initiative (2016) provide solution to the navigational issues which come with airport expansion; driverless shuttles. Able to be used in terminals or on the road, driverless shuttles can be used to take passengers anywhere through programmed routes by using stereovision technology able to avoid obstacles and improve on the user journey. Biometric Bag Drop Check-in and bag-drop systems are key mechanisms effecting the user journey. Attempts have been made at improving the user-experience at these sectors through mobile apps and digital technologies helping to aid the transition through the airport. However, to further the process making it seamless for their passengers, airlines have introduced a bag drop solution which offers full biometric validation and enrolment for an enhanced level of security. This will in turn improve on the passenger experience; with no need of human agents or manual passports and decrease the amount of time spent at streamlined airport operations.
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Drivers of Change There are implications of changes within the global macro-environment that will affect the airline industry in the near future. Data collected from the International Air Transport Association displayed in figure 2 illustrates 50 drivers of change for the airline industry ranging from societal factors such as ‘Urbanization and the growth of megacities’ to economic factors such as ‘privatisation of infrastructures’. These elements can allow for future preparation for architects to adapt their design and allow airport to be flexible in terms of any change.
image source: https://www.iata.org/policy/Documents/iata-future-airline-industry.pdf
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Many of the driver of changes are already taking place, forcing airports to innovate, adapt and respond, for example the 21st century has seen a rise in infectious diseases such as the zika virus epidemic caused in most parts of north and south America (2015-16), and Ebola outbreak (2015) This environmental driver of change has impacted airports in terms of travel restrictions and temperature screening, therefore showing how airline industries adapt to situations. The driver of change been seen at present with the international regulation of emissions and noise pollution. At the Paris climate conference (COP21), it was noted that 195 countries would adopt the first universal global climate deal. “The Agreement sets out a global action plan to put the world on track to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming...” (European Union, 2015). This suggests how countries should reduce carbon emissions, one way in which they are able to achieve this is through regulations of air travel, Fuel plans and alternative sources of energy. An example of this can be seen from the first commercial flight, which was powered by renewable energy. “Flight took off from Seattle-Tacoma airport in Washington state using 20% biofuel” (Mortimer, C. 2016). The drivers of change thus have encouraged airline industries to collaborate with Agricultural departments in order to reduce carbon footprints and its dependency on fossil fuels.
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CHAPTER FIVE: Conclusion & Recommendations
Aerodrome metamorphosis is a clear process consisting within the 21st century. There is much
room for improvement however we can see airport models moving in the right direction in order to stay flexible and adaptable for change. In reference to the user experience for passengers we can come to the finalisation that some airports have delved into designing high user-friendly facilities which entertains passengers as they wait to depart for their flight; evidence of this can be taken from Singapore Changi Airport, which provide diverse experiences such as koi ponds and butterfly forests. With the advancements of technology emerging, for example with autonomous travel and biometric bag drop to aid the overall airport experience, it suggests that new age technology will be providing a solution to make air travel more efficient for users, especially fitting into a fast-paced city environment. With reference to the drivers of change it is evident that the airline industry is aware of the variety of factors which may impact they way it is being run, and how to prepare and adapt to changes as a response to the arising issues. Alternative transportation systems It can be argued that the shift to an Aerotropolis city is likely to decline due to alternative transportation systems coming into play. Despite air travel, the future of travel in general is forever evolving and changing and it is unquestionable that new technology will be implemented within cities to allow faster travel time with varying modes of transport. One system that has already begun construction within America is the Boring company; founded by Elon Musk. It is a theory on a wider scale to make runways more efficient underground. Musk and associates quoted that “Roads must go 3D� (TED, 2017). In an attempt to relieve traffic within travel, as it is believed that as cities begin to get congested, society will need another solution. The Boring Company is focusing on tunnels underneath cities as a 3D solution. The ideology for this new tech venture is to bore holes underneath urban cities, using its own assets, as seen from the image source; which will vastly increase the speed that city tunnels can be dug, and decrease the associated costs. Furthermore, there are many benefits this unorthodox approach to transportation; essentially its long-term effect won’t have much impact on current city structures due to the nature of its design. Other Benefits consist of reduced noise pollution, due to it being built away from communities, and its sustainable approach using hydro-energy. Despite this, there are a number of fundamental issues which many people have addressed which include the topic of earthquake and vibrations, emissions and size. However, that being said, Musk has provided efficient reports to back up his findings in order to implement this within the United States. The boring company assures people that tunnels will be too deep for earthquakes to impact the space, and in reference to the emissions, the company intends to transport cars using an electric skate. In reference to travel, we can clearly see an alteration to regular modes of transport taking place within the 21st Century.
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Image source: https://electrek.co/2017/11/29/elon-musk-boring-company-chicago-train-highspeed-loop/
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ABOUT & CONTACT Abdul Kayum [Dissertation] Email: ak_kayum@hotmail.com Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/abdul-kayum-/