海角视频

How 海角视频’s integrated systems engineering kept the airport operating while building a resilient terminal for the future.

When Pittsburgh International Airport opened its new terminal in November 2025, it wasn鈥檛 simply unveiling an architectural statement. It was completing one of the most complex operational handoffs an airport can attempt: merging a 1990s鈥慹ra campus with an entirely new terminal without ever shutting the airport down.

For the Allegheny Airport Authority, this was the true success metric. And for the 海角视频 engineering team, led by US Aviation Director Jeremy Snyder, it was a chance to demonstrate how thoughtful engineering can protect day鈥憈o鈥慸ay operations while enabling a new terminal to perform at its highest potential from hour one.

The Terminal Modernization Program (TMP) introduced an 800,000 ft虏 landside building that transforms how passengers arrive, check in, and move through the airport. But achieving that seamlessness required more than designing new systems. It required strategically weaving new, high鈥慹fficiency infrastructure into legacy systems that had to remain live – central plants, controls platforms, and the airport鈥檚 campus microgrid – and doing so in a way that eliminated risk, preserved safety, and set up the terminal for a multi鈥慸ecade lifecycle. Working closely with and , in association with , 海角视频 embedded performance-based thinking into every decision.

Airports are complex machines, but they should never feel that way to the people moving through them. Our job was to make the complexity feel invisible so the terminal could feel simple, calm, and unmistakably Pittsburgh. That balance – clarity on the surface, sophistication underneath – is what makes this project special.”

Jeremy Snyder, US Aviation Director, 海角视频

The integration challenge: aligning a reimagined terminal with aging campus systems while keeping it running

Pittsburgh鈥檚 former ’90s hub鈥慹ra layout separated landside and airside buildings with an Automatic People Mover (APM). Transitioning to a compact, origin鈥慳nd鈥慸estination terminal meant retiring the APM, expanding landside spaces, and simplifying the connection to the concourses – all while maintaining live airport operations.

This shift carried high stakes:

• The terminal鈥檚 large open volumes and rolling鈥慼ills roof demanded precise thermal strategies to manage Pittsburgh鈥檚 extreme seasonal swings.
• Highly glazed facades risked glare, downdrafts, and condensation unless tightly integrated with HVAC and envelope systems.
• Baggage hall geometry, dwell times, and stack-effect behavior required non鈥憇tandard solutions.
• The existing 1990s central plant and controls framework had to stay active throughout construction and cutover.

In short: the airport couldn鈥檛 pause. Every system had to perform during the transition.

The solution: precision systems engineering that fused legacy and new infrastructure

• One analysis model, decisions grounded in data: We used whole鈥慴uilding energy modeling and a Single Analysis Model to test loads, compare energy conservation measures, and calibrate systems to inform decisions and compliment the architecture. This analytical backbone set the stage for a clear, high鈥憄recision basis of design.
  
• Displacement ventilation that preserves the architecture: In tall, high鈥憊olume areas (especially the baggage hall) we implemented displacement鈥憇tyle ventilation (DV) with low鈥憀evel supply integrated into the baggage carousels and fixed elements. This preserved the open ceiling language, improved stratification control, consolidated maintenance to non鈥憄ublic areas, cut fan energy, and created a calmer acoustic and visual environment. We validated comfort using computational fluid dynamic software (CFD) to manage stack effect at peak conditions and to place spot cooling where baggage tugs and facilities teams operate nearly 24/7, eliminating freezing risks and maximizing efficiency of baggage distribution.
  
• Envelope鈥慳ware strategies for comfort and energy: We paired an outside鈥慳ir economizer with total energy recovery wheels to maximize seasonal efficiency and trim peak heating and cooling loads. Custom finned鈥憈ube radiators along the facade temper downdrafts; mid鈥憀evel finned鈥憈ubes mitigate cold鈥慻lass effects where glazing exceeds 16ft; pedestal finned鈥憈ubes at skylight valleys prevent winter condensation. Automated shading protects comfort in long鈥慸well and staff zones while reducing cooling energy.

• Phased central plant strategy: We studied the existing chiller plant and recommended a measured replacement sequence that accounts for refrigerant leakage rates, global warming potential, energy cost, and payback. This enables upgrades over time – avoiding a capital spike – while maintaining reliability for the modernized terminal.
  
• Legacy controls and a maintainable platform: We maintained clear separations between new and legacy systems where it made economic sense and worked with the airport to create a BMS that integrates legacy controls into a long鈥憈erm platform via open protocols. Parallel commissioning mirrored critical points (smoke control, pressurization, emergency lighting) to allow validation before sequence handoff, protecting operations throughout the cutover.
  
• Power, resilience, and the microgrid: The airport鈥檚 campus microgrid provides independent, resilient power with islanding and black鈥憇tart capabilities. Our electrical integration synchronized new terminal loads and controls with generation and protection schemes, ensuring coordination, load鈥憇hedding logic, and transfer sequences that safeguard life鈥憇afety, security screening, baggage, and vertical transport during abnormal events.

We overlaid a modern BMS that interoperates with legacy platforms – preserving current operational consistency while unlocking optimization in the new terminal.

Jeremy Snyder

Delivery in practice: Local presence and tight coordination

Our Pittsburgh鈥慴ased team collaborated side鈥慴y鈥憇ide with the architects, the airport, and contractors from concept through construction and into commissioning. We used BIM to coordinate services tightly, organized air handling and power distribution around what must be shared between landside and airside vs. what should remain distinct, and routed life鈥憇afety devices discreetly in public areas while keeping plantrooms and back鈥憃f鈥慼ouse routes clear and organized for operations.

Results: a terminal for Pittsburgh – and ready for tomorrow

The rebalanced landside鈥憈o鈥慳irside relationship eliminates the APM, reduces travel time, and simplifies operations. Architectural gestures echo Pittsburgh鈥檚 hills and river valleys 鈥� and the engineering ensures that the experience feels intuitive, comfortable, and calm.

• And a modernized plant, integrated controls platform, and synchronized microgrid create long-term resilience.
• DV and energy recovery reduce peaks and fan power.
• Finned鈥憈ubes eliminate downdrafts and condensation risk.
• BIM coordination improved constructability and future maintenance.

We weren鈥檛 just installing systems – we were integrating them into a terminal that had to connect to a microgrid, reduce energy use, stay live during construction and perform on day one.

Jeremy Snyder

Opened November 18, 2025, the modernized terminal now stands as a benchmark for how integrated engineering can unite old and new systems – delivering clarity for passengers, operational reliability for the airport, and value for decades to come.