Engineering the future of aviation
Airports today are no longer just gateways to travel. Instead, they are eco-systems where architecture, engineering, sustainability and human experience come together to create environments that can inspire and connect people, businesses and systems.
Across the world, 海角视频鈥檚 multidisciplinary teams are redefining what an airport can be: intuitive, inclusive, environmentally responsible and rooted in a strong sense of place.
From world-famous placemaking icons to next generation sustainable terminals, our engineers, designers and advisors are helping airports evolve into vibrant civic spaces that support city, regional and national level growth while meeting the ever-increasing demands of global travel. Much of our work sits behind the scenes 鈥� in the structures, the facades, the environmental systems, the movement strategies 鈥� yet these layers of engineering, design and advice are what enables the smooth operations on which passengers and businesses rely.
Below, we explore how this integrated approach has shaped influential aviation projects and what they reveal about the future of airport design.
Airports as destinations: engineering placemaking聽
Jewel Changi Airport 鈥� engineering the world鈥檚 most celebrated airport experience
Jewel Changi Airport is perhaps the clearest example of the airport as destination movement. Its indoor forest and 40metre waterfall have become global symbols of biophilic design, but their success depends on the engineering that enables such an environment.
Our structural and facade design enabled the world鈥檚 largest indoor gridshell: a 6,000 ton enclosure of 9,304 unique triangular glass panels. The space has become a civic attraction in its own right, drawing .
Our contribution was both technical and cultural. By enabling a building that dissolves boundaries between nature and infrastructure, we helped redefine what an airport can be.
Dock A, Zurich Airport 鈥� using timber to express national identity
Zurich Airport鈥檚 new Dock A takes placemaking in a different direction. The ambition is to create a terminal that feels unmistakably Swiss 鈥� warm, crafted and linked to the alpine landscape.
The idea to use mass timber for the project was developed by 海角视频 during the initial competition. Local timber specialists Pirmin Jung were then enlisted during the competition phase to develop the mass timber design.
The timber frame and daylightfilled atrium will create a calm, intuitive environment while significantly reducing embodied carbon. Dock A shows how airports can become cultural ambassadors through materiality, light and spatial clarity.
CPK Airport, Poland 鈥� A national gateway shaped by clarity and inclusivity
Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) is designed to act as a symbolic gateway to Poland, integrating air, rail and road into a single, intuitive interchange. Its vaulted roof, plaza and clear sightlines will create a sense of welcome.
We shaped the structural, geotechnical and inclusive design foundations to ensure the terminal is both striking and socially meaningful. Minimal level changes, intuitive flows and visual connections to the landscape will make it accessible to all passengers 鈥� a critical value often overlooked in large infrastructure.
Climate聽responsive聽design:聽engineering聽terminals that聽respect聽their聽environment
Oslo Airport Terminal 2 鈥� setting a global benchmark for low energy aviation
Oslo Airport Terminal 2 is considered one of the world鈥檚 greenest terminals because sustainability shaped every decision that was made. Our integrated approach enabled a 50% reduction in energy demand compared to the already efficient existing terminal.
The curved extension, panoramic glazing and skylights are environmental tools that harness daylight, manage heat gain and support a clear, legible interior. Low carbon materials, including Scandinavian timber and recycled steel, further reduced the project鈥檚 footprint.
The result is a terminal that performs exceptionally well today and sets a precedent for aviation鈥檚 low carbon transition for the future.
Beijing Daxing International Airport 鈥� environmental performance at scale
Designed for up to 75 million passengers, Beijing Daxing International Airport shows that sustainability and scale can coexist. Our integration of passive shading, high performance glazing and optimised roof lighting contributes to a predicted 50% reduction in energy use and CO鈧� emissions.
The terminal鈥檚 radial layout shortens walking distances, reducing stress and improving accessibility. This is a building that embeds environmental responsibility into one of the world鈥檚 most ambitious transport hubs.
Kaohsiung International Airport, Taiwan 鈥� A smart, resilient terminal for a growing region
Kaohsiung鈥檚 new terminal will more than double capacity while reducing environmental impact. We developed an Airport Sustainability Roadmap that integrates daylighting, air purification, water reuse and renewable energy into a coherent, future ready strategy.
Advanced air purification and localised cooling maintain comfort without conditioning vast volumes of air. ETFE roof lights bring daylight deep into the building, reducing reliance on artificial lighting and creating a calmer passenger experience.
Puerto Escondido Airport, Mexico 鈥� bioclimatic design that celebrates climate and community
Puerto Escondido Airport embraces its tropical climate with natural ventilation, radiant cooling and bioclimatic strategies designed to deliver comfort with minimal energy. Our environmental modelling ensures these work in harmony with the architecture, while our resilience expertise enables it to withstand hurricane conditions.
The terminal reflects a broader shift in airport design toward experience and connection. Like Jewel Changi, it redefines the airport as a destination 鈥� but on a regional scale rooted in local climate and community.
Future聽ready聽terminals:聽engineering for聽adaptability,聽clarity聽and聽long-term聽value聽
Manchester Airport Terminal 2 鈥� A transformation built on operational clarity
Manchester Airport鈥檚 拢1.3bn transformation programme centred on expanding Terminal 2 at the UK鈥檚 third-busiest airport, unlocking the full potential of its two runways and enabling new routes across the world.
Our multidisciplinary team delivered complex structural, civil, geotechnical and facade engineering across two phases, increasing critical infrastructure while keeping the airport operational. Detailed digital modelling enabled us to minimise structural interventions and reuse over 75 tonnes of steelwork in the existing terminal.
Terminal 2 is now a resilient, future-proof hub for the North West, with the infrastructure needed to improve passenger experience, support the regional economy and accommodate future growth.
Pittsburgh International Airport 鈥� A terminal shaped by performance, comfort and civic identity
The Terminal Modernization Program at Pittsburgh International Airport shows how engineering can unlock architectural vision. The 鈥榮ingle roof鈥� concept, inspired by the region鈥檚 landscape, required a performance driven approach capable of handling extreme climate variations.
Our early modelling shaped comfort, daylight and energy strategies, ensuring openness did not compromise performance. Displacement ventilation, automated shading and precise thermal systems create comfort even during peak conditions.
The result is a civic gateway that embodies the region鈥檚 identity while delivering long term operational value.
The聽future of聽aviation聽relies聽on聽integrated聽thinking聽
Across these projects, a clear pattern emerges. The airports that resonate most 鈥� socially, environmentally and experientially 鈥� are those where engineering and design work hand in hand, and where function and form work together to deliver solutions to the complex demands and challenges faced by the aviation sector.
The projects shown here reflect the integrated approach 海角视频 brings to every aviation project, ensuring each one is technically rigorous, environmentally responsible and rooted in supporting airport operators navigate the complexity they continuously face. Explore our aviation expertise here.
Back to top