Fentress Architects is proud to announce that the Miami Beach Convention Center Expansion and Renovation has won the 2020 BESTaward in the Serve category from the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) Rocky Mountain Chapter! As a leading interior design excellence awards program, the BESTawards recognizes projects that truly encompass “Brilliantly Executed Spaces and Thinking.”
Located in the heart of the city, the 1950s Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) needed a transformation befitting its reputation as a world-class entertainment destination the venue has become known for through annual events such as Art Basel and eMERGE Americas. To create a design that is quintessentially South Florida, we explored the surrounding culture and context, allowing for the design to become a contextual representation of the city.
One of the greatest challenges was harmonizing the 1.4 million-square-foot, grand scale building with the intimacy of human scale to create flexible, intuitive and daylit spaces. Inspired by the undulating ocean waves, the exterior façades’ “fins” – angled aluminum linear forms – filter dappled light throughout the daylit lobbies and pre-function spaces to provide a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor environments. This contextual inspiration was brought inside with colors and patterns that emulate receding water, sea foam, and local coral reef patterns.
“The finish palette is extremely thoughtful in regards to the surrounding nature while not going too over the top.” — 2020 BESTawards Jury
To truly capture the essence of Miami Beach in the design, we carefully studied how light enters the surface of water, as well as how it appears underwater from a diver’s perspective. This experience is celebrated in the entries leading into the event spaces, where portals with beacons of light intuitively guide visitors into the room. We also translated satellite images of nearby ocean waves, coral and sandbars into custom patterns for the carpets throughout pre-function and public circulation areas. Lighting fixtures were selected to create an uplifting, yet serene atmosphere reminiscent of the ocean.
Natural light, glistening white columns, and subdued lighting punctuate the pre-function lobbies.
Swooping curves, glistening white columns, and subdued lighting punctuate the pre-function lobbies and the 60,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom, drawing inspiration from Miami’s modernist architecture. The new Grand Ballroom features acoustic sound panels to heighten sound quality and LED lighting to produce both high-quality lighting and energy savings.
Surrounded by natural light and modern glass paneling, the Grand Ballroom’s 18,000-square-foot pre-function space overlooks contemporary artwork installed by Miami Beach’s Art in Public Places. Within this environment, MBCC visitors and staff experience digital displays incorporating event-specific branding, art and dynamic visual elements.
Watch the IIDA RMC 2020 BESTawards Virtual Event and learn more about this year’s winners here.
Fentress Architects, a global design firm specializing in the creation of memorable public architecture, is excited to announce that the redesigned Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) recently achieved LEED Silver certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), marking a significant achievement in realizing the City of Miami Beach’s sustainability standards. Completed earlier this year, the 1.435 million-square-foot redesign included an expansion and renovation of the existing 1950s-era center to accommodate upgraded show needs while creating a sleek, modern and regionally inspired design befitting MBCC’s reputation as a world-class entertainment destination. The venue has become internationally known for hosting annual events such as Art Basel Miami Beach and eMERGE Americas.
“The Miami Beach Convention Center’s LEED Silver certification exemplifies the significant coordination, innovation and green building leadership that was demonstrated among the entire project team,” said Deborah Lucking, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Director of Sustainability at Fentress Architects. “This project stands as a testament of resilient, sustainable and forward-thinking design that will serve as a commitment to the community now and well into the future.”
Context-driven design
Located in the heart of Miami Beach, Florida, MBCC’s design realizes the City of Miami Beach’s vision to reposition the center as one of the most technologically advanced convention centers in the U.S. while enhancing the facility to comply with FEMA code as part of a resiliency plan to safeguard against future hurricanes and flooding. To create a design that reflects the city’s vibrant culture and natural environment, the design team immersed themselves in the landscape and lifestyle of Miami’s South Beach.
Fentress collaborated with Arquitectonica on the context-driven design to incorporate natural elements of the ocean, beach and underwater life such as waves, manta rays, and coral reefs. The exterior façade is designed with over 500 unique aluminum “fins” – angled aluminum linear forms – to create a curving undulation reflective of the nearby ocean waves. This contextual inspiration was brought inside with colors and patterns that emulate receding water, sea foam, and local coral reef patterns. The team also translated satellite images of nearby ocean waves, coral and sandbars into custom patterns for the carpets throughout pre-function and public circulation areas.
“This exciting milestone for the MBCC represents the culmination of a long journey, demonstrating the MBCC’s serious commitment to resiliency and sustainability,” said Freddie Peterson, General Manager at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
Site responsive architecture
The façades’ angled fins create a curtain wall that responds to the solar orientation of each façade, filtering dappled light throughout the daylit lobbies and pre-function spaces to provide a seamless transition between indoor and outdoor environments. Hurricane-resistant connections and projectile resistant glazing on the exterior façade establish a strong and stable building envelope. Additionally, the elevation of critical building systems to the second floor allows the building to remain operational during hurricanes while raised floor elevations respond to rising sea levels.
Creating a resilient community amenity
In collaboration with West8, Fentress Architects transformed the existing six-acre surface parking lot into a vibrant public park – a key element of the project’s resilient design that includes a tropical garden, game lawn, shaded areas, and veterans’ plaza. Additionally, Bent Pool, a public art installation by international artists Elmgreen & Dragset celebrates Miami Beach’s dynamic culture and natural environment. In total, the design team added twelve acres of greenspace, preserved more than 100 existing trees, and added over 1,300 new trees. As a result, the design increases the pervious acreage of the 25-acre campus by 245% and significantly reduces heat island effect. The project is designed to a 25-year, 3-day storm event as the maximum stage for site drainage retention.
Prestigious Award Heralds the Government Center an “Architectural Gem”
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Western Mountain Region (WMR) chapter has honored the Clark County Government Center, designed by Fentress Architects, with its 2020 Twenty-five Year Award. This prestigious award recognizes a built structure that has significantly influenced design and lifestyle in the Western Mountain Region. The project’s Southern Nevada-inspired design was recognized during the AIA Western Mountain Region Design and Honor Awards virtual Gala on Thursday, October 1, 2020.
“In a town where icons are normally casinos and themed campuses, this project is refreshing because it has brought a conversation of architecture to the public consistently. We are really pleased to see that the community has embraced the project wholeheartedly.” — 2020 AIA WMR Honor Awards Jury
Following a national design competition with submissions from 45 architects—including Antoine Predock and Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates—Fentress Architects was selected to design the Government Center. Fentress completed the project in June 1995 with a mission to provide the county with a much-needed seat of government that would also serve as the heart of this rapidly growing Nevada community for years to come. Today, more than 25 years later, the 375,000-square-foot, six-story Government Center continues to stand as one of Southern Nevada’s most memorable architectural landmarks, highlighted in nearly 20 awards and distinctions such as “Best of Las Vegas, Best Non-Hotel Architecture” for eight consecutive years (1999-2005) by readers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
“At Fentress, we believe architecture should serve a longstanding commitment to the community,” said Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA, Principal in Charge of Design at Fentress Architects. “This award is not only a testament to our humanistic design approach, but to years of collaboration with Clark County officials and community members. The Clark County Government Center has created an enduring landmark for the region while showcasing a model of open, accessible and stable government.”
Design for People
Every detail of Fentress’ design—from the spatial organization and design of the commission chambers, to form and materiality—harmonizes to create an uplifting, human-centric experience. The firm’s approach embodies four main themes: realize a civic order through logical, functional and straightforward design; establish a sense of place; create a concept of open an accessible government; and conceive a stable, permanent, and valued image of county government.
The government center is organized around a multifunctional County Courtyard and shaded arcade, facilitating intuitive wayfinding while protecting visitors from the desert sun as they navigate the complex. Natural stone forms and trees complete the circular layout and define an outdoor amphitheater for special events, concerts, and ceremonies. Inside the Commission Chambers, the County Commissioners’ seats are recessed, placing the citizens of Clark County above the officials and symbolizing a government of the people.
Creating Meaning, Identity and Sense of Place
The design considers landscape an essential source for connecting architecture with community and the region’s history. Seeking to emulate Nevada’s native landscapes found at Red Rock Canyon and Valley of Fire, Fentress’ team visited the sites, borrowing inspiration from the dramatic surrounding desert environment including sandstone walls, unexpected openings and details, and geometric shapes.
These compelling references to Nevada’s history and natural landscape can be explored throughout the Government Center’s architecture. For example, the tree-lined pedestrian spine leading into the building represents the pathway to Mouse’s Tank at Valley of Fire, while petroglyphs chiseled in the shaded arcade illustrate actual sandstone carvings engraved by Native Americans throughout Southern Nevada. Inside the kiva-shaped County Room, the 80-foot diameter and 100-foot-high rotunda features a form and materiality inspired by the stream-worn basin of Mouse’s Tank. The pyramidal structure housing the 400-seat cafeteria and Community Room reflects the nearby Lone Mountain, and the triangular clerestories inside the Commission Chambers evoke the Prickly Pear cactus.
Connecting Architecture with Community
Clark County Government Center is not only an institution, but an amenity for the community. Each year, the amphitheater hosts diverse events ranging from cultural festivals and weddings, to regional traditions such as the annual Jazz in the Park series. A specially created docent program provides architectural tours to meet community demand to engage deeper with the building, the art events it hosts, and its many unique features. In fact, the building was a selected site tour at the AIA Conference on Architecture 2019. The Government Center showcases that the built environment can embrace, connect, and inspire its community—a true indication of the government center’s enduring significance in the Western Mountain Region.
2020 Fentress Global Challenge Entry. Team: Schiphol International, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, North Carolina State University.
Fentress Architects is excited to announce 22 entries have been shortlisted for the 2020 Fentress Global Challenge (FGC), which garnered more than 100 entries from students in over 15 countries. FGC is an annual international student design competition launched in 2011 by Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA that encourages and rewards innovative design in public architecture. This year’s competition challenged students to envision airport mobility in the year 2100.
“Each year I am ever more impressed by the vision, creativity, and practicality set forth by these young architects,” said Curtis Fentress who is also Principal in Charge of Design at Fentress Architects. “This year’s shortlist couldn’t be more diverse; they range from a modular floating terminal to a self-growing airport integrated into the site’s ecosystem. Each concept pioneers creativity, advances innovation and recognizes real solutions that would enhance the passenger experience of 2100.”
Of the over 100 entries judged last month by a panel of architects and designers at Fentress Architects, most explored one of the following areas: Futuristic Mobility, Mitigation of COVID-19 and Zero-Emission.
Futuristic Mobility
Flying air pods carry passengers and their baggage to and from their home. Team: CGC, HK22, Harvard Graduate School of Design.
Several submissions built upon recent developments in futuristic transportation—from the Hyperloop to autonomous vehicles—to imagine the airport of the future as a multimodal hub equipped to handle next-generation aircraft, space travel, autonomous transportation, integration of the hyperloop, and even autonomous pods. Concepts ranged from terminals with launchpads for spaceflight and underground Hyperloop connections to the replacement of aircraft with self-flying autonomous pods.
Mitigating COVID-19
This concept reimagines Heathrow International Airport as a “healing hub” that monitors and treats disease carriers. Team: S.T., Heathrow Healing Hub, Tel-Aviv University.
The current pandemic inspired a wide range of ideas on how airport design might help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, which may be more prevalent in 2100. Fully touchless airports as well as terminals that dual function as “healing hubs” were among the concepts that sought to create health-centric, comfortable, and efficient travel experiences.
Zero-Emission Airports
The Green Gateway transforms Indira Gandhi International Airport into a zero-mission, sustainable airport. Team: BANIYA, The Green Gateway, Southern California Institute of Architecture.
A number of submissions utilized cutting-edge solutions as a means to develop zero-emission airport facilities. Among the forward-thinking ideas submitted were airports that integrate with the surrounding ecosystem; terminals reimagined as greenhouses; and decentralized air purifying towers.
The 22 contestants will be judged virtually by a jury of renowned airport architects, directors, planners, and scholars. Winners will be announced in October.
The 2020 Shortlist:
W.A.D, Floating Aero City – Hong Kong International Airport, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China
Arch YiYang, The Vertebrae – Singapore Changi Airport, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
BANIYA, The Green Gateway – Indira Gandhi International Airport, Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arch), Los Angeles, California, USA
Ajay Kamaleshwaran, CornUcopia – Indira Gandhi International Airport, Anna University School of Architecture and Planning, Chennai, India
TIArch Studio, The Reserve – Indira Gandhi International Airport, Kazan State University of Architecture and Engineering, TIArch Studio, Kazan, Russia
Qianqian YU, ReBABEL – Hong Kong International Airport, Special School of Architecture (École Spéciale d’Architecture), Paris, France
Beyond Heathrow, A New Airport for London – Heathrow Airport, The Barlett – University College London, London, England
Schiphol International, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
ISM, Resonance of the Antiquity – Indira Gandhi International Airport, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Lucy Janik, LAX Airport Relocation – Los Angeles International Airport, Cracow University of Technology, Kraków, Poland
Qian Lin and Umica Yelavarthy, Shanghai Pudong International Airport of the Future, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Henry Alridge, A Built-In Obsolescence – Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
CGC, HK22 – Hong Kong International Airport, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
CRAB, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
PRAXIS, Modular Floating Airport, Singapore University of Technology & Design, Singapore
RIE, O’Pon on the Hill, Yogyakarta University of Technology, Sleman, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Sejkul, Drive-In Airport 2100 – Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Architecture, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Ryerson University, Head in the Clouds, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada
Marklin Huynh, Istanbul International Airport Asian Terminal, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
M3DMA, Tokyo Gate – Tokyo International (Haneda) Airport, Gdansk University of Technology, Gdańsk, Poland
Oporajeyo, The City Lungs – Indira Gandhi International Airport, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
The shortlist will be judged virtually by a jury of renowned airport architects, directors, planners, and scholars. Winners will be announced in October.
Global architectural design firm Fentress Architects and Johnson County Board of Commissioners recently announced the substantial completion for the new Johnson County Courthouse, prominently located at 150 W. Santa Fe St. in downtown Olathe, Kansas.
The seven-story, 356,831-square-foot courthouse, designed by Fentress Architects in a partnership with Treanor HL, and constructed by JE Dunn Construction, replaces the aging, overcrowded existing courthouse by consolidating the Tenth Judicial District Court, District Attorney and supporting spaces into a distinctive civic building. The new state-of-the-art facility includes 28 courtrooms, flexible space for six additional courtrooms and supporting functions including a Law Library, Court Administration, Court Clerk, Help Center, Court Trustee, Justice Information Management, Sheriff’s Office and other services necessary to serve all judicial and administrative needs for the Johnson County community.
“This milestone represents a significant accomplishment in realizing Johnson County’s vision for a more efficient, community-oriented and forward-thinking courthouse,” said Brian Chaffee, FAIA, Principal at Fentress Architects. “The courthouse’s design celebrates Johnson County’s historical roots while embodying its innovative vision with a memorable structure that will serve as a longstanding commitment to the community. We are looking forward to continue working with the County, Treanor HL and JE Dunn Construction as we realize the project’s final completion.”
Designed to USGBC LEED Gold with principles as delineated by the WELL Building Institute, the new courthouse will serve Johnson County for the next 75 years, accommodate the expected growth of 10,000 residents per year and fulfill the County’s goal to reduce energy by 30 percent. The open and accessible design harmonizes with traditional federal architectural features to create an approachable, yet efficient facility that reflects the importance of justice and the Rule of Law.
Inspired by materials and forms found in Kansas geology and history, the courthouse’s prominent façade features a limestone-clad ribbon wall above the main entry, creating both a sense of place and a welcoming entrance. The “Emporium of Justice” serves as the courthouse’s main lobby where visitors enter and pass through security. An expansive glass curtainwall and punched windows advance the transparency in government functions. Additional features including terrazzo floors, glass handrails, acoustical plaster ceilings and custom millwork contribute to the courthouse’s durability and monumental image.
“The new courthouse creates a functional, accessible, safe and secure facility that will serve the long-term needs of the Johnson County community,” said Daniel Wehmueller, Project Manager at Johnson County. The building’s distinct design has already become a Johnson County landmark. We couldn’t be happier with the project team’s innovative and creative approach that has helped the County bring this vision to life.”
Public art funded by Johnson County’s Public Art Program creates an engaging, one-of-a-kind courthouse experience. “Open Prairie,” a public art piece installed by Los Angeles-based Ball-Nogues studio, integrates seamlessly into the building’s design and creates a network of vibrant colors as visitors enter the courthouse. Additionally, Goddess of Justice has been relocated from the existing courthouse to the new facility.
In addition to the new Johnson County Courthouse, the project team developed the north parking lot. To create a resilient amenity for the community, the project team will transform the existing courthouse site into a new greenspace for the community.
The team is currently installing systems and ancillary furniture, which will continue through November. Johnson County staff will begin occupying the courthouse in September, and the building is intended to open to the public in the first quarter of 2021.
Curtis Fentress, Founder and Principal in Charge of Design for Fentress Architects, was conferred with an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from North Carolina State University on December 18, 2019, at the fall commencement ceremony.
“The Airport Studio has drastically expanded our College’s studio offerings in monumentality, scale, symbolism, and technical challenge. Students are encouraged to consider the poetic and technical issues as informing each other.”
— Wayne Place, Ph.D., M.Arch., P.E., Professor of Architecture, College of Design, NC State University
Honorary degrees represent NC State’s highest recognition of outstanding and distinguished contributions to scholarship, creativity, leadership, and humanitarian or public service, and recognize individuals whose achievements are extraordinary and have lasting distinction. The Board of Trustees makes the selection of honorary degree recipients from nominations submitted to and recommended by the Faculty Committee on Honorary Degrees. They are awarded to individuals who may or may not have an existing association with the university.
Fentress was born in North Carolina and raised on a tobacco farm in the small town of Summerfield. He graduated with honors from NC State’s College of Design in 1972 with a Bachelor of Architecture. During his time as a student at NCSU, Curt was awarded an AIA-AIAF Fellowship, a Graham Foundation Fellowship, and the Alpha Rho Chi Medal—the highest honor bestowed on a designer by an architectural school. Other awards and accolades followed: he was recognized with a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2010, became a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 1996, and in 2010, he was honored with the AIA’s highest award for public architecture—the Thomas Jefferson Award for Public Architecture. This accolade recognizes architects who design distinguished public facilities and advocate for design excellence.
After graduation in 1972, Fentress joined the reputable firm of I.M. Pei and Partners in New York City; and in 1977 he joined the newly-formed firm of Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), also of New York. While at KPF, he was honored with Building Design and Construction magazine’s “Young Professional of the Year” award as project designer for the Amoco Building in Denver, Colorado. Intrigued by opportunities in the west, in 1981 Curt formed C.W. Fentress and Associates in Denver, where he infused modernist design with sensitivity to place.
Today, Curt has built an international, multicultural practice and directed the design of 93.6 million square feet of public space that welcomes, hosts and guides over 650 million people annually. Fentress has also won over 50 national and international design competitions. Over the past 40 years, Fentress has played pivotal roles in nearly all of the firm’s projects including Denver International Airport, Incheon International Airport in Seoul, National Museum of Wildlife Art, National Museum of the Marine Corps, Raleigh-Durham Terminal 2, the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX, and numerous others.
Throughout his career, Fentress has remained dedicated to the advancement of architecture at NC State by investing time, mentorship, and personal resources to support its mission and its many students. His affinity and passion for teaching students of architecture led to the North Carolina State University Airport Studio. This advanced graduate studio program gives students an opportunity to imagine new and innovative solutions for airports of today and the future by focusing on how design principles serve the public realm. The Airport Studio has drastically expanded the College’s studio offerings in terms of scale, monumentality, symbolism and technical challenge.
Fentress’s studio work was presented as part of the Symposium on Airport Design at the 2016 Venice Architectural Biennale, which led the European Cultural Center (ECC) to invite the College of Design to mount a major exhibit of Airport Studio work as part of the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale. Its exhibit, “Future Airports: Global Design Thinking,” received the ECC’s Best Architecture University Award 2018 for contributing to the research and highlighting the significance of airport space and the value of the experiential journey.
On December 20, 2019, Fentress delivered the commencement address to the graduates of the College of Design. Not knowing exactly what the students would face in a few short months with the global COVID-19 pandemic, in his commencement address he urged students to, “…keep your youthful optimism for innovation and creativity as you begin your quest to make the world a better place. Unleash your collective and creative talents to find solutions to the world’s problems that are facing you.” This is a task for which he is convinced they are prepared.
On Friday, July 17, the first Southwest Airlines flight took off from the new Concourse D at Nashville International Airport (BNA). Delivered by the Hensel Phelps | Fentress Architects Progressive Design-Build Team, the 115,000-square-foot expansion signifies a major milestone for BNA Vision – a dynamic expansion and renovation plan aimed at maintaining the airport’s status as a world-class facility to keep pace with the airport’s record-breaking passenger volumes and projected growth.
The new concourse is a key element of the $292 million, 315,000-square-foot Concourse D and Terminal Wings Expansion project. It will significantly enhance the passenger experience as the airport continues to bring BNA Vision to reality. As Concourse D opens, Hensel Phelps and Fentress Architects are at work on another major project at BNA: a substantial terminal lobby renovation and state-of-the-art International Arrivals Facility, will be completed in late 2023.
“The new Concourse D elevates the passenger experience as a state-of-the-art facility with modern finishes that will delight travelers as they come and go at BNA,” said Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA, Principal in Charge of Design at Fentress Architects. “The flexible design allows the airport to accommodate future growth, passenger needs, evolving technology and aviation trends, all while creating a modern gateway befitting Nashville’s world-class prominence. We’re excited to continue working with the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority and Hensel Phelps to bring the BNA Vision to life.”
The 115,000-square-foot expansion of Concourse D adds six new domestic aircraft gates, public art, and a variety of traveler amenities, along with improved ramp amenities and function space. Additional components of the project include a 136,000-square-foot renovation of existing terminal space and a new 11,000-square-foot Central Utility Plant to heat and cool the terminal.
“The new Concourse D gives us more capacity for commercial air service to meet the rising demand for travel to and from Nashville,” said Doug Kreulen, MNAA president and CEO. “At the same time, it’s an impressive, energy efficient structure reflective of the world-class airport that is taking shape. BNA Vision is an exciting series of projects, and there’s much more to come. We are proud to serve Nashville and Middle Tennessee.”
This fall, the team will complete BNA’s 200,000-square-foot North and South Terminal Wings Expansions, providing for interim TSA checkpoints, permanent ticketing check-in counters, baggage claim devices and support offices.
In response to coronavirus (COVID-19), the project team implemented safety and social distancing protocols in line with CDC guidelines to strengthen the wellbeing of both project team members and passengers while creating a safe and healthy airport experience. Developing an adaptive and agile response, the team delivered Concourse D on time.
“Few projects have been as iconic or meaningful to a city as the Denver International Airport.” — 2020 Honor Awards Jury
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Colorado chapter selected the Denver International Airport (DEN) Passenger Terminal as the recipient of the 2020 Twenty-five Year Award. As one of the most prestigious honors in Colorado’s built environment, the award is presented annually to a project that has “significantly influenced design and lifestyle in Colorado” and features a “timeless and enduring design that has created a sense of place” for at least 25 years.
“Our vision for DEN’s Passenger Terminal was to create a memorable design – a gateway to Colorado and the West,” said Curtis Fentress, FAIA, RIBA, Principal in Charge of Design at Fentress Architects. “Twenty-five years later, the design continues to transcend time and is known around the world. I would like to thank AIA Colorado Honor Awards Jury, the entire project team, and my former partner Jim Bradburn.”
Creating a Memorable Symbol
Completed in 1995, Fentress’ design for DEN’s Jeppesen Terminal stimulated a paradigm shift in the way architects and the public perceive airport design. Previously, airports were conceived as ‘people processors’ – nondescript warehouses comprised of low ceilings and dim lighting. Fentress sought to change this notion by creating an airport that serves as a symbol of Denver and a gateway welcoming all to Colorado and the West; architecture as memorable as it was functional.
“Few projects have been as iconic or as meaningful to a city as the Denver International Airport,” said the 2020 Honor Awards Jury at the AIA Colorado Design and Honor Awards Ceremony on August 17. “This project is known nationally and internationally and has beautifully withstood the test of time. This project is a no-brainer for a Twenty-five Year Award. Its timeless design has become an architectural icon for the City of Denver.”
To create a significant airport, the terminal’s design embodies forms and materials native to the Rocky Mountain region. Peaked roof forms rise 130 to 150 feet, evoking a sense that one has stepped onto the snowcapped mountains that inspired the architecture. The context-driven design signified the first time an airport became a timeless icon of a region through expressive forms and has inspired the architecture of hundreds of airports worldwide.
Driving Innovation
DEN’s design set a new standard in innovation. With a deadline of only three weeks to create a new terminal concept, the design team reimagined the terminal archetype by relocating the building’s mechanical system from the roof to underground and designed the world’s largest structurally integrated, Teflon-coated tensile-membrane roof at the time of completion.
“At the time we designed the terminal, we took many risks,” said Curtis Fentress. “A lot of creative decisions we made had not been done before on such a massive scale. To all the young architects, don’t be afraid to push the limits to create great architecture.”
As one of the world’s largest daylit structures, DEN’s design showcases the first time permanent skylights were integrated into a roof form with tensile membrane fabric. Skylights atop the eight tallest masts reach up to 150 feet, allowing sunlight into the building to enliven the space. To fasten the roof’s fabric to the glass building structure, the design team developed the first “sausage connection” – a pliable two-foot diameter vinyl tubular section – which allows the structure to safely move up to 30 inches during dynamic roof movement without affecting the glass walls.
Design that Stands the Test of Time
Over the last 25 years, DEN’s Jeppesen Terminal has inspired the region’s built environment, establishing a precedent for architecture to create a sense of place while providing a sustainable and enduring commitment to both Coloradans and visitors. Today, the terminal continues to stand as a memorable gateway to the West and an enduring symbol of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.
DEN is consistently voted as one of the most efficient and significant airports worldwide, including its ranking as one of the “Best Airports in 2020” by Skytrax World Airport Awards and the “Best of the Biggest U.S. Airports” by Wall Street Journal in 2018.
Construction collaboration to build SJC’s Interim Facility wins international honors
SAN JOSE, CA—Mineta San José International Airport (SJC), Hensel Phelps (HP), Fentress Architects, Southwest Airlines and OrgMetrics LLC together won the International Partnering Institute’s (IPI) distinguished Diamond Partnering Level Award for their construction collaboration in building SJC’s Interim Facility in Terminal B. IPI honors organizations and individuals who have worked to make the construction industry more collaborative for a successful outcome.
SJC’s Interim Facility was built as a temporary solution to accommodate SJC’s rapid passenger growth over the past four years. Six additional gates were added in this temporary facility to meet Silicon Valley’s ongoing demand for travel at SJC. Additionally, the Interim Facility is intended to serve passengers until the Airport’s future expansion of a new terminal is realized, as a part of the Airport’s Updated Master Plan.
Planning for the Interim Facility Project began in early 2018, with a fast-paced schedule to open four gates as soon as feasible. Roughly four months into planning, Airport officials saw an opportunity to fund two additional gates, resulting in a total of six new gates housed in the interim facility – all planned, designed, built, and operational in under a year.
“The success of this very aggressive 11-month timeline is credited to the partnership and shared vision of our partners and stakeholders,” said John Aitken, SJC Director of Aviation. “We are grateful to our Airline and Construction partners who provided strong teams to work with us in San Jose, and also to IPI for recognizing the value of this collaboration. While the new space succeeded in meeting our need at the time during daily record-breaking passenger growth, it now also offers us added flexibility to accommodate new realities such as social distancing.”
OrgMetrics LLC, a professional partnering facilitator, successfully guided the team through each phase of the construction project. With regular partnering sessions and a highly performing team, the first five gates opened in June 2019, while the final gate opened in time for the busy holiday traffic in November 2019.
In addition to the six additional gates, the $58 million Interim Facility provides more concessions space, additional restrooms, and allows for more flight scheduling flexibility for airlines to support current airport operations and future growth.
HP served as the primary construction contractor for the Interim Facility, while Fentress Architects provided the design of the building. Currently, all six gates in the Interim Facility are operated by Southwest Airlines.
COVID-19 is forcing designers to reimagine the way the built environment is experienced. In particular, public transportation venues have been severely affected by the pandemic and many of their operators are searching for means to ensure passenger safety and build long-term user confidence.
In April 2020, we saw air travel in the U.S. reach an all-time low as passenger traffic dropped by more than 95%. As of June 2020, with travel bans and restrictions loosened and lifted, passenger traffic has begun to grow—albeit slowly.
Scenarios for global recovery reflect the latest predictions of significant economic decline in 2020 and partial recovery in 2021. Graph and data: InterVISTAS.
Fentress Architects’ Aviation Studio formed a COVID-19 Committee at the outset of the pandemic. The objective of the Committee has been to provide airport operators and airlines with well-researched design strategies for the creation of healthy, safe and comfortable environments that maintain high levels of efficiency and are fiscally feasible. The Committee’s recommendations fall into two actionable phases: NOW and NEXT. A third phase – BEYOND – serves comprehensive planning efforts. Recommendations include touchless technologies, integrated safety measures, wayfinding solutions, queue management and more. This multi-phased approach will help mitigate the spread of today’s virus as well as future, yet unknown infectious diseases.
NOW: PRODUCE IMMEDIATE RESULTS
It’s crucial to respond quickly, efficiently and wisely in times of crisis. Entry screening, touchpoint reduction, wayfinding, queue management and new holdroom seating configurations are a few ways that simple modifications and additions can be employed to yield immediate and effective results.
Entry Screening
Health and temperature screening—via Infrared Thermal Detection Systems (ITDS) for Mass Screening—at entrances and security queues will help identify infectious persons. While research has shown temperature screening may not capture all cases of COVID-19 (it is possible for carriers of this disease to present without elevated temperature), it will detect a significant amount. And in doing so, this safety measure will instill confidence among travelers and staff in the facility’s procedures.
Reducing Touchpoints
Touchpoints, also known as occasions for human interaction, consistently emerge throughout the airport experience: from check-in to security, concessions and boarding. Given 80 percent of all infectious diseases can be transmitted through touch (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), it is crucial to limit surface contact. Numerous technologies—facial recognition, artificial intelligence and biometric scanners—have already been employed to improve the passenger experience and reduce touchpoints.
Touchless kiosks can limit human-to-surface contact. Photo: AirAsia
Over the last five years, touchless, gesture-based kiosks have been gaining momentum at museums to enhance the check-in process and diminish wait times. Airports can leverage this same technology to transform self-serve kiosks from touch to touchless, which significantly reduces the risk of viral or bacterial transmission.
Wayfinding + Queue Management
Logical and logistical wayfinding strategies are essential to ensuring positive passenger experiences. Designers routinely utilize subtle, often unseen, wayfinding techniques to alleviate the stress of travel. However, the opposite is needed in a pandemic when travelers yearn for “can’t miss it” strategies that reduce uncertainty and anxiety.
Arconas’ ‘Leave Space’ Floor Stickers placed six feet apart in queuing areas can help facilitate social distancing. Photo: Arconas
Several temporary solutions, such as Arconas’ ‘Leave Space’ Floor Stickers placed six feet apart in queuing areas, encourage physical distancing while also guiding passengers. We’ve seen these ad-hoc methods used in almost every building type – from coffee shops and grocery stores to civic buildings and even airports. However, a more effective solution for airports requires a strong focus on queue management.
Holdroom Seating Configuration
The pre-COVID-19 “Serpentine” queue layout requires people to encounter one another.
In the traditional “Serpentine” security queue, passengers face one another as they navigate their way to the checkpoint, making it nearly impossible to avoid face-to-face contact.
A “Ski Lift” queue layout ensures all passengers remain front facing.
Alternatives like the “Ski Lift” queue ensure all passengers remain front facing. Social distance stickers coupled with a “Ski Lift” queue would be highly effective in reducing the spread of germs.
Security Checkpoints
Now that we have discussed queue management, it’s time to integrate this measure into the bigger picture: improving the entire security checkpoint process.
Facilitating a front-facing flow in the queue, passenger temperature screening, mitigating contact with officers, and providing sanitizer or hand washing stations can help create a safer security process.
First and foremost, airports must ensure all building users –TSA officers, airport and airline staff, and passengers – are protected throughout the entire airport experience. Since pre-COVID-19 security checkpoints are prone to human-to-human contact, it’s essential to rethink the process with safe and health-driven improvements.
Here are some easily implemented methods to enhance comfort and safety at security checkpoints:
Enforce social distancing and front-facing flow in the queue
Passenger temperature screening prior to proceeding through the checkpoint
Protect TSA officers behind Plexiglass screens
Provide handwashing stations after high-traffic contact areas
Holdroom Configuration
Social distancing of passengers in the pre-COVID-19 holdroom is physically impossible due to cross traffic conflicts.
Pre-COVID-19 holdroom layouts provide little to no social distancing. Cross traffic obliterates social distancing requirements, resulting in only three feet of space between individuals as they walk down an aisle.
Fentress re-designed holdroom seating to enhance social distancing and comfort.
So, we’ve reimagined holdroom seating configurations to ensure passenger comfort without a reduction in capacity. By rotating the seating, airports can significantly increase usability of existing seating capacity.
Arconas’ Place® Chair Shield Accessory (adaptation for social distancing)
Additionally, we collaborated with designer Michael McCoy to create a shield add-on for Arconas’ Place® Chair, which adheres to social distance guidelines.
The Pacific Marketplace in Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s Central Terminal features flexible seating areas.
Additional seating solutions include the transformation of otherwise unused areas, like concession seating, into additional holdroom space.
NEXT: EXPONENTIALLY BETTER
“Now” proposes strategies and solutions to be implemented within a matter of weeks and when passenger volumes are at their lowest. Meanwhile, “Next” includes strategies and solutions that need longer to fully implement and occur with increasing passenger volumes. They expand on phase one in both size and scope: from touchpoint reduction to touchless; from spacing to orientation for both queuing and holdrooms.
Touchless Experience
Simply put, it isn’t enough to reduce touchpoints; the airport experience must evolve to be touchless. Touchless environments not only expedite and enhance all aspects of travel, they also improve health.
The world’s first fully biometric terminal was created for Delta Airlines at Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International Airport. It integrates biometrics from curb to gate, which not only removed touchpoints, it also saved an average of nine minutes when boarding a wide body aircraft alone. At the Fentress-designed South Terminal Complex for Orlando International Airport, biometric boarding gates will help reduce surface contact while creating a more efficient boarding process.
Airports may also choose to limit surface contact in elevators with solutions like MAD Elevator Inc.’s “Kick-to-Go,” which is comprised of foot-activated buttons, and “Touch-to-Go,” which provides easy-to-clean elevator touchscreens.
Breeze at LAX allows passengers to order food via an app for pick-up at a kiosk. Photo: Fly with Breeze
Expansion of low-touch concession opportunities will further enhance the passenger experience. Earlier this year, Los Angeles International Airport adopted this strategy to pilot an on-demand food service program in Terminal 2. The service incorporates a ‘ghost kitchen’, which allows passengers to pre-order for pickup while the food is prepared in an existing kitchen space within the terminal. This sustainable model is an efficient solution, avoiding the need for new construction and infrastructure.
Arconas’ Place® Chair Cluster
While the addition of dividers between seats in holdrooms is an important first step, furniture options such as Arconas’ Place® Chair Cluster and Radius Dividers maximize personal space for passengers while optimizing seat utilization. The incorporation of leaning rails throughout concourses can also help mitigate touchpoints and offer operators more easy-to-clean surfaces.
Expand Outdoors
The Fentress-designed Austin-Bergstrom International Airport features outdoor seating areas.
Working closely with designers, airports can expand seating to outdoor areas to accommodate higher passenger levels while allowing for social distancing. At the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (above), Fentress’ design expanded the holdroom outdoors, establishing an efficient way to optimize the site’s unused space.
Outdoor holdroom seating offers benefits far beyond increased space. It also provides natural ventilation for passengers, promoting passenger well-being while maintaining a healthy and comfortable atmosphere.
BEYOND: EXPANDING THE SCOPE OF POSSIBILITY
While it’s easy for the industry to focus on short-term survival, airports and designers must take a responsive and resilient approach to adapt to a post-COVID-19 world. Ultimately, our goal as airport designers is to create physical environments that instill passenger and consumer confidence in the world’s aviation system for the long term. This forward-thinking approach requires a design strategy that far surpasses implementation of COVID-19 protocols; it requires designing flexibility and resiliency into structures that can easily acclimate to unforeseen conditions for the next 20 years and beyond.
Technology is the Future
Technology has been a catalyst for airport design innovations long before the current pandemic. But now, more than ever, it will be essential in creating flexible buildings while ensuring passengers stay informed and connected. Automation technology such as robotics will become more common to provide passengers with pertinent information, improving airport efficiency and service. Incheon International Airport adopted this technology early on, incorporating customer-facing robots to advise passengers throughout the airport journey.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) will help improve airport operations and facilitate safety measures. At Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, an airside artificial intelligence system will enhance aircraft taxing, gate allocation and turnaround. The airport also implemented visual sensors to monitor passenger line lengths to help improve efficiency while facilitating queue management.
Leveraging Digital Technology
Capitalizing on digital technology will also be paramount to the future of airport design. Our aviation experts have taken forward-thinking approach to the holdroom boarding experience by creating a concept for a new podium that supports social distancing with a built-in shield between passengers and airline staff. This visually informative LED screen also provides 360-degree coverage, empowering passengers to remain in their seats while staying updated with flight information.
Resilient Public Spaces
Resiliency is key when it comes to designing public spaces. Public areas in airports of the future will need to accommodate more space for separation between passengers while remaining flexible to respond to health issues that could arise.
Other passenger-facing areas such as ticket counters, security checkpoints and holdrooms will also need to be highly configurable to accommodate shifting passenger levels, safety protocols such as health scans and sporadic social distancing requirements.
Driving Wellbeing + Sustainability
The airport of the future has an opportunity to be a catalyst for public health. This strategy goes beyond cleaning surfaces; it places the wellbeing of users and the environment at the heart of the design. Designers can leverage building systems while setting ambitious energy efficiency targets to improve health of both passengers and the environment. The goal is to redefine the airport as an agent for health and a driver for a sustainable future.
While we can’t predict the future, we can employ flexible design strategies to mitigate the impact of uncertainty.
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