Airports & Aviation
Curtain Wall & Glazing Case Study
Efficient. Enjoyable. Beautiful.
Curtainwall projects at an airport present unique challenges due to security, acoustics, jet blasts, access, and environmental considerations. Whether a renovation or new outpost, AGA has contributed to some of the most modern and beautiful airport jobs on the West Coast, including the SFO Control Tower, SFO’s new Harvey Milk Terminal 1, Sacramento Airport, LAX, Ontario Airport and more. Terminals, security stations, bridgeways — read below for some of the unique solutions required.
Get In. Keep Out.
Teams like AGA need to be prepared for the access protocols of airport secure areas. But getting inside isn’t the only measure of staying “secure.” Runway-facing walls need to withstand jet blast loads much higher than standard wind loads.
View Glass
Maximum usage of glass provides the perfect opportunity for travelers to watch planes take off and land, while minimizing the claustrophobic feeling of waiting in the terminal. Specialized products like View Smart Glass used in San Francisco International Airport’s Terminal 1 achieve these traveler considerations, while also optimizing energy efficiency and glare containment. View glass at SFO also reduced ventilation requirements, saving $900,000 in CapEx. This all contributed to the 1.18 million sq. ft. building achieving LEED v4 BD+C Gold rating and Fitwel certification.
Unique Acoustical Demands
Jet engines blasting at take-off present unique acoustical challenges requiring both engineering and product material considerations. This was especially true at the runway-facing, LEED Gold project, 351-room and 12-story SFO Grand Hyatt. Everything from the gourmet restaurant to 22 suites to 17 meeting/event rooms needed protection from the outside sounds of the SFO taxiway on one side and U.S. 101 freeway on the other.
Progressive Cost Analysis
Cost considerations are true in any project, but especially so in the often public-private partnerships of airports. AGA works to facilitate information flow in progressive cost analysis to ensure teams are properly educated on the unique characteristics of the build.
See the projects featuredin this case study:
- Offices
- Residential
- Institutional
- MOB & Hospitals
- Transportation
