SFO unveils eco-friendly airport terminal
April 4, 2011 | Length: 00:02:34
San Francisco International Airport is putting the finishing touches on its newest terminal--a retrofit that will be home to American and Virgin Airlines. The new building is on track to be the country's first LEED gold-certified terminal, setting a new standard for 'green' design in airports.
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RE: SFO unveils eco-friendly airport terminal
RE: SFO unveils eco-friendly airport terminal
The architect specifically said that they had designed the
terminal to be more comfortable than usual. I have seen my fair
share of unfriendly terminals and this looks to be much better
than most. SFO currently compares very favourably against any
Aussie airport!
Have to agree with the cost aspect though. Most airports now
treat the passengers as cash cows along with the airlines; I have
to transfer in SYD for most international flights and it SUCKS.
Over $10 for just a sandwich and soda! Then there is the 20
minute bus ride just to get you from the international terminal to
the domestic terminal in time to miss your flight...
here's an idea
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Transcript
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>> Reporter: San Francisco International Airport is putting the finishing touches on its newest terminal -- a retrofit that will house American and Virgin Airlines. The remodeled building is on track to becoming the country's first LEED gold-certified terminal, setting a new standard for green design in airports.
>> They don't interfere with the people in the boarding areas --
Background talking
>> Reporter: Arthur Gensler, the architect for the project, says his firm focused on every aspect of sustainability, during the planning and construction process.
>> Arthur Gensler: We wanted to reuse as much of the existing building as we could, because that's obviously very sustainable, rather than creating new materials. And then we wanted to use this whole idea of the whole building was a technologically-efficient building.
>> Reporter: One of the key areas they addressed was lighting design. As you can see, the majority of the airport is lit naturally, with large windows spanning the terminal. Ray Quesada is a project manager with SFO.
>> Ray Quesada: You can see, from the amount of glass and window -- clerestory glass, as well as floor-to-ceiling glass, all around the perimeter -- is to really not use artificial light. Actually, there's lighting in the building that is switched off during the day, when there's sufficient light levels.
>> Reporter: And what about all the bottled water you generally see at airports. They came up with an eco-friendly alternative.
>> Ray Quesada: The idea of the hydration stations is to really encourage people not to buy bottled water. Either they bring their own bottles from home, or in the case that they do have a plastic bottle, bring the plastic bottle here, and then refill it in the hydration Station.
>> Reporter: Also worth a look: This children's play area.
>> Ray Quesada: We are in one of two children's play areas. In order to protect them from falling, we use this rubberized flooring material, which is made up from recycled tires.
>> Reporter: But even with all the new green renovations, Gensler's ultimate goal is comfort.
>> Arthur Gensler: One of the things that we've tried to do is to create a space that's hospitable, really almost like a hotel feeling, rather than an airport feeling. So, as you know, it flow through this, it's very intuitive. It's very simple. The materials are very much like a hotel lobby.
>> Reporter: For SmartPlanet, I'm Simi Das.
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