From the start of the conceptual design of the New International Airport in Mexico City, the goal was to incorporate environmental sustainability as a key pillar of designing a world-class 21st century terminal. The decision was made to design a terminal building that would meet the highest level of certification available: LEED v4 Platinum.
Our role was to ensure sustainability strategies aligning with LEED requirements and targets were incorporated throughout the design and construction of the building. This involved working closely with the design team consisting of architects Foster + Partners and Fernando Romero Enterprise, engineers Arup, and airport planners NACO. As the project progressed, our roles evolved to LEED construction administration, with constant site visits to meet with contractors about sustainable building techniques and development of digital tools to streamline the material procurement process.
The sustainable design techniques that are most appropriate for airport terminal buildings strongly depend on the region-specific environmental priorities of the project. In Mexico City, water consumption and heat island reduction were very important, as the city has a limited water supply and can reach high temperatures throughout the year. The LEED standard does an excellent job of highlighting local priorities through its list of Regional Priority credits, which provide additional points for achieving credits important to the project site and greater community. Some strategies, especially those related to passenger and employee health, are ubiquitous across all terminal projects.
The greatest challenge we faced was applying the LEED v4 standard – which is primarily written for office buildings and other common typologies – to the unique use type of a passenger terminal building. Twenty-four hour operations, major process loads, variable occupancy and isolation from the surrounding community are just some of the challenges faced by most terminal buildings. These challenges highlight the need for an airport-specific LEED standard that accounts for these differences, while still promoting sustainability in airport design, construction and operations.
The project has currently been halted by the new Mexican President’s administration despite completion of the design and substantial construction.
(photo credit: FP-FREE)
