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Puerto Escondido Airport

Puerto Escondido, Mexico

º£½ÇÊÓƵ played a pivotal role in shaping a sustainable, climate-responsive terminal for Puerto Escondido Airport, delivering comfort through innovation.

Set on Mexico’s Pacific coast, Puerto Escondido is a place defined by its natural beauty, laid-back charm and growing international appeal. As tourism continues to flourish, the need for a new airport terminal became clear – one that could meet rising passenger demand while reflecting the region’s character and climate. Designed by renowned Mexican architect Alberto Kalach, the new terminal at Puerto Escondido Airport is a bold response to the challenge: a space that prioritises comfort, sustainability and architectural integrity.

º£½ÇÊÓƵ was appointed to support the delivery of Kalach’s vision of connecting architecture with nature, providing multidisciplinary consultancy across building physics, facades engineering and acoustics. Our team worked closely with the architect, the developer Aeropuertos Mexicanos, and a wider group of stakeholders to help realise a terminal that is not only technically robust, but also deeply rooted in its environmental context.

We delivered CFD and thermal modelling to prove natural ventilation to meet adaptive comfort standards in a hot, humid climate.

Our team designed radiant cooling floors with optimised chilled water temperatures to minimise condensation and maintain comfort.

We provided acoustic analysis to ensure clarity of public announcements in semi-open spaces, despite aircraft noise.

Our experts evaluated hurricane resilience through facade and structural studies, informing glazing and roof specifications for safety.

Challenge

From the outset, the project presented a unique set of challenges. Kalach’s ambition was to create a naturally ventilated airport – not a low-budget compromise, but a genuinely comfortable, open-air terminal that would offer passengers a relaxed and enjoyable experience. Achieving this in a hot, humid coastal climate, while meeting the stringent requirements of airport security and operational resilience, demanded a highly considered approach.

Thermal comfort was a central concern. The design needed to ensure that passengers could move through the terminal in comfort, even during peak heat and humidity. At the same time, the building had to be resilient to extreme weather events, including hurricanes, and capable of maintaining acoustic clarity for public announcements in semi-open spaces.

Security requirements added further complexity. Certain areas – such as X-ray zones, offices and passport control – had to be fully enclosed and conditioned, with strict environmental thresholds. The open nature of the design also raised questions around equipment protection, condensation risk, and the impact of aircraft noise on passenger experience.

Solution

To address these challenges, º£½ÇÊÓƵ delivered a suite of integrated solutions, underpinned by rigorous analysis and close collaboration with the wider design team. Our building physics specialists developed dynamic thermal models and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to test the feasibility of natural ventilation and low-energy cooling strategies.

These studies demonstrated that, with the right combination of passive design, air movement and radiant cooling, adaptive thermal comfort could be achieved across much of the terminal.

Radiant cooling floors were introduced in key areas such as check-in, customs and migration, with chilled water temperatures optimised to 24C to minimise condensation risk. In naturally ventilated zones, large ceiling fans and misting systems were deployed to enhance air movement and evaporative cooling. CFD analysis confirmed that air velocities of 1–1.5 m/s could be maintained, keeping operative temperatures within the ASHRAE 55 adaptive comfort range even on peak design days.

Our acoustics team carried out a detailed desktop study to assess noise levels in semi-open areas. The findings showed that aircraft noise would not pose a significant risk, but recommended the use of acoustic absorption materials in the terminal soffit to improve clarity for the public address and voice alarm (PAVA) system.

Our facade engineers, working with structural engineering collaborators, evaluated the building’s resilience to hurricane conditions, conducting wind studies and blast analyses to inform glazing specifications and roof design. These recommendations were incorporated into the design, ensuring that the terminal could withstand extreme weather events without compromising safety or performance.

Throughout the process, our team worked closely with the architect, mechanical and structural engineers, airport consultants and the Mexican Airports Authority (ASA) to refine the strategy. While some compromises were necessary – with fully conditioned environments retained in certain zones – the final design successfully integrates natural ventilation and low-energy cooling in the entrance lobby and departure waiting areas, delivering on the original vision.

Value

º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s contribution to the Puerto Escondido Airport project went far beyond technical delivery. By engaging early and proactively with the client and design team, we helped shape a strategy that balanced architectural ambition with operational practicality. Our multidisciplinary expertise enabled us to address complex challenges – from thermal comfort and condensation risk to acoustics and hurricane resilience – with clarity and confidence.

The project showcases the power of the well-considered bioclimatic design in airport environments delivered by our experts. Demonstrating that comfort and sustainability can coexist, even in demanding climates. It also highlights the importance of integrated thinking and collaboration between our teams: bringing together º£½ÇÊÓƵ’s building physics, facades and acoustic consultants and designers to create a coherent and resilient solution for our client that is greater than the sum of its parts. 

In many ways, Puerto Escondido Airport reflects a broader shift in airport design – one that moves beyond the purely functional, towards spaces that offer genuine experience and connection. Like Singapore’s Jewel Changi Airport, which has redefined the airport as a destination in its own right, Puerto Escondido sets a new benchmark for regional terminals: a place where architecture, climate and community come together.