SPECIAL REPORT: PLANNING & DESIGN
Delivering the future
Sustainability is central to the design and development of Pittsburgh International Airport’s new $1.1 billion terminal, writes Gensler’s Ty Osbaugh.
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ustainabilty at airports has become increasingly aligned only with environmental issues, and while these considerations are important, there are many other facets to it that are equally important to understand and incorporate in aviation development programmes. COVID-19 has exposed the need to think about air terminals as open, porous environments instead of sealed, secure boxes designed only for the passenger. New expectations and needs for our airports mean they will evolve into multifaceted centres of activity for passengers, staff and the community at large. Pittsburgh International Airport’s Terminal Modernization Program (TMP) is an example of an airport that looks at sustainability through multiple lenses and arrives at a solution that positions the airport for an unknown future on sound principles. The TMP design vision, developed by architectural and engineering firms Gensler + HDR in association with luis vidal + Architects, is centred on ideas of nature, technology and community.
Environmental sustainability While Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a great benchmark and industry standard for environmental stewardship, it is only a baseline for design teams to achieve. Pittsburgh is striving for greater heights in the use of the adjacent land for energy generation via a self-sufficient microgrid energy system
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and solar arrays. The goal of this development is not only to meet the needs of the terminal and passenger facilities, but to generate enough power to give back to the electrical grid and support the local community. Within the TMP site limits, some of the sustainability strategies include: • The terminal itself is designed around using less energy for heating and cooling through the orientation of the terminal, strategic building overhangs and the appropriate use of solar mass. • The site limits the amount of surface parking and provides dense solutions for parking which allow for other uses and creates a green spine to link the terminal and parking garage. • Implementing site-wide illumination controls to control light pollution. • Developing interactive tracking systems to integrate with the building management system (BMS) to turn off lights when not in demand. • Capturing rainwater for use in landscaping irrigation. • Creation of outdoor spaces as a passenger amenity. Enabling natural light to shine through multiple levels of the terminal through light wells and openings. • Using principles of biophilic design by visually connecting passengers to natural environments. In the TMP, the baggage claim hall is connected directly to outdoor gardens, so that passengers waiting for bags to arrive have a sense of being in a Pittsburgh garden.
