The recent evolution of airport terminals has been prompted largely by different patterns of passenger behavior in a post-9/11 world. Passengers have learned get to the airport earlier. They spend less time browsing pre-security retail, opting to queue up in often-lengthy security lines well before boarding. The result? Overcrowding in post-security areas, where retail and dining options have historically been lacking.
Curtis Fentress, Principal-in-Charge of design at Fentress Architects, says greater passenger volume has strained gate and restroom capabilities. In addition, the recent popularity of low-cost airlines has increased demand for post-security dining options.
“Many carriers don’t provide any food on the airplane,” Fentress says. “So the people who are getting to the airport earlier to make sure they get through security are waiting, and they want something to eat. If there’s any kind of flight delay, they know they might be stuck in the airport or stuck up in the air for a while without any food.”
Airports are scrambling to respond with renovations and new terminals, even as they deal with TSA rules that can change in an instant. From CTX scanners—van-sized x-ray machines used to examine checked bags—to passenger scanners, the range of large equipment that terminals must accommodate just keeps morphing. Building Teams and their clients are adopting structural tactics that support change.
“We’re using more steel, which allows us to make longer distances between columns,” Fentress says. “The more long-span construction you can do, the more flexibility you have in the future.”
Top Air Terminal Sector Architecture Firms
Rank | Company | 2013 Air Terminal Revenue Revenue |
1 | HOK | $47,074,837 |
2 | Gensler | 35,675,000 |
3 | Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates | 30,792,300 |
4 | Corgan | 26,376,420 |
5 | Fentress Architects | 26,333,785 |
6 | Stantec | 22,650,631 |
7 | RS&H | 22,050,000 |
8 | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill | 20,454,225 |
9 | PGAL | 17,120,000 |
10 | Heery International | 13,057,793 |
11 | HNTB Corp. | 10,900,639 |
12 | Leo A Daly | 9,490,737 |
13 | Gresham, Smith and Partners | 6,733,000 |
14 | SchenkelShultz Architecture | 6,179,000 |
15 | HKS | 4,087,622 |
16 | LS3P | 3,282,241 |
17 | Morris Architects | 2,795,000 |
18 | Clark Nexsen | 2,214,183 |
19 | Solomon Cordwell Buenz | 1,700,000 |
20 | CTA Architects Engineers | 1,187,913 |
21 | ZGF Architects | 929,658 |
22 | BRPH | 925,000 |
23 | Epstein | 762,000 |
24 | RTKL Associates | 677,000 |
25 | Integrus Architecture | 641,695 |
26 | Ware Malcomb | 196,500 |
27 | Rosser International | 158,668 |
28 | JRS Architect | 135,000 |
29 | Environetics | 112,443 |
30 | Parkhill, Smith & Cooper | 92,000 |
31 | Cuningham Group Architecture | 44,964 |
32 | Beyer Blinder Belle | 9,544 |
33 | Perkins+will | 6,836 |
34 | Ratio Architects | 5,368 |
Top Air Terminal Sector Engineering Firms
Rank | Company | 2013 Air Terminal Revenue Revenue |
1 | Jacobs | $118,990,000 |
2 | URS Corp. | 83,069,612 |
3 | Burns & McDonnell | 48,010,000 |
4 | Parsons Brinckerhoff | 27,025,899 |
5 | Arup | 21,447,760 |
6 | Leidos | 16,810,000 |
7 | Ross & Baruzzini | 12,814,720 |
8 | AECOM Technology Corp. | 9,630,000 |
9 | STV | 5,260,000 |
10 | WSP Group | 3,640,000 |
11 | KPFF Consulting Engineers | 3,125,000 |
12 | Syska Hennessy Group | 2,933,760 |
13 | TLC Engineering for Architecture | 1,984,605 |
14 | TTG | 1,653,250 |
15 | Thornton Tomasetti | 1,620,411 |
16 | Walter P Moore and Associates | 1,596,212 |
17 | Sparling | 1,583,537 |
18 | Stanley Consultants | 1,526,482 |
19 | Aon Fire Protection Engineering Corp. | 1,500,000 |
20 | Graef | 1,267,799 |
21 | RMF Engineering | 1,200,000 |
22 | Coffman Engineers | 1,139,884 |
23 | Magnusson Klemencic Associates | 1,068,015 |
24 | RDK Engineers | 870,000 |
25 | Vanderweil Engineers | 856,900 |
26 | Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates | 550,000 |
27 | Simpson Gumpertz & Heger | 550,000 |
28 | Martin/Martin | 494,691 |
29 | M-E Engineers | 400,000 |
30 | Newcomb & Boyd | 351,932 |
31 | Zak Companies | 351,488 |
32 | I. C. Thomasson Associates | 300,000 |
33 | Davis, Bowen & Friedel | 257,524 |
34 | Guernsey | 252,705 |
35 | Environmental Systems Design | 198,068 |
36 | CTLGroup | 180,000 |
37 | Joseph R. Loring & Associates | 175,000 |
38 | Heapy Engineering | 172,189 |
39 | Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon | 150,000 |
40 | GRW | 138,862 |
41 | Wallace Engineering | 131,000 |
42 | Dunham Associates | 90,000 |
43 | CJL Engineering | 81,400 |
44 | KJWW Engineering Consultants | 81,358 |
45 | P2S Engineering | 50,418 |
46 | Smith Seckman Reid | 44,419 |
47 | Bridgers & Paxton Consulting Engineers | 38,111 |
48 | Spectrum Engineers | 16,993 |
49 | Brinjac Engineering | 12,515 |
50 | French & Parrello Associates | 9,215 |
51 | AKF Group | 6,000 |
Top Air Terminal Sector Construction Firms
Rank | Company | 2013 Air Terminal Revenue Revenue |
1 | Turner Construction | $487,680,000 |
2 | Hensel Phelps | 418,780,000 |
3 | PCL Construction | 328,069,635 |
4 | Walsh Group, The | 315,399,703 |
5 | Austin Commercial | 267,162,953 |
6 | Suffolk Construction | 170,270,605 |
7 | Balfour Beatty US | 154,058,403 |
8 | Clark Group | 131,741,104 |
9 | McCarthy Holdings | 127,000,000 |
10 | Manhattan Construction | 119,660,000 |
11 | Hunt Construction Group | 109,000,000 |
12 | URS Corp. | 83,069,612 |
13 | Hill International | 55,000,000 |
14 | Flintco | 54,400,000 |
15 | Walbridge | 46,000,000 |
16 | Skanska USA | 45,635,393 |
17 | Lend Lease | 35,107,000 |
18 | Weitz Company, The | 33,745,047 |
19 | HITT Contracting | 27,200,000 |
20 | Parsons Brinckerhoff | 27,025,899 |
21 | Brasfield & Gorrie | 25,926,312 |
22 | Gilbane | 22,031,250 |
23 | Tutor Perini Corp. | 19,320,308 |
24 | New South Construction | 18,923,000 |
25 | BlueScope Construction | 18,631,283 |
26 | O'Neil Industries/W.E. O'Neil | 18,433,037 |
27 | Holder Construction | 13,132,000 |
28 | Heery International | 13,057,793 |
29 | Yates Companies, The | 12,900,000 |
30 | Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., The | 11,991,159 |
31 | Beck Group, The | 11,096,174 |
32 | EMJ Corp. | 10,000,000 |
33 | James McHugh Construction | 9,527,392 |
34 | Robins & Morton | 6,370,178 |
35 | Messer Construction | 5,994,758 |
36 | W. M. Jordan Company | 5,812,917 |
37 | STV | 5,260,000 |
38 | Hill & Wilkinson | 4,766,000 |
39 | Consigli Construction | 3,278,099 |
40 | Kraus-Anderson Construction | 3,000,000 |
41 | Sundt Construction | 1,564,147 |
42 | JE Dunn Construction | 1,239,884 |
43 | Hoffman Construction | 1,000,000 |
44 | Hoar Construction | 4,000 |
Read BD+C's full 2014 Giants 300 Report
Related Stories
Airports | Apr 18, 2024
The next destination: Passive design airports
Today, we can design airports that are climate resilient, durable, long-lasting, and healthy for occupants—we can design airports using Passive House standards.
Airports | Feb 13, 2024
New airport terminal by KPF aims to slash curb-to-gate walking time for passengers
The new Terminal A at Zayed International Airport in the United Arab Emirates features an efficient X-shape design with an average curb-to-gate walking time of just 12 minutes. The airport terminal was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), with Arup and Naco as engineering leads.
Urban Planning | Feb 5, 2024
Lessons learned from 70 years of building cities
As Sasaki looks back on 70 years of practice, we’re also looking to the future of cities. While we can’t predict what will be, we do know the needs of cities are as diverse as their scale, climate, economy, governance, and culture.
Products and Materials | Jan 31, 2024
Top building products for January 2024
BD+C Editors break down January's top 15 building products, from SloanStone Quartz Molded Sinks to InvisiWrap SA housewrap.
Airports | Jan 30, 2024
Rafael Viñoly Architects’ design for the new Florence, Italy, airport terminal will feature a rooftop vineyard
At Florence, Italy’s Aeroporto Amerigo Vespucci, the new international airport terminal will feature a fully operating vineyard on the facility’s rooftop. Designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects, the terminal is expected to see over 5.9 million passengers annually. Renderings for the project have recently been released.
Airports | Jan 15, 2024
How to keep airports functional during construction
Gensler's aviation experts share new ideas about how to make the airport construction process better moving forward.
Airports | Dec 4, 2023
4 key innovations and construction trends across airport design
Here are some of the key trends Skanska is seeing in the aviation sector, from congestion solutions to sustainability.
Giants 400 | Nov 13, 2023
Top 60 Airport Facility Construction Firms for 2023
Hensel Phelps, Turner Construction, AECOM, and Walsh Group top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest airport terminal and airport facilities general contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 13, 2023
Top 65 Airport Facility Engineering Firms for 2023
AECOM, Jacobs, Arup, Burns & McDonnell, and WSP head BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest airport terminal and airport facilities engineering and engineering architecture (EA) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 13, 2023
Top 65 Airport Facility Architecture Firms for 2023
Gensler, Corgan, PGAL, and HOK top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest airport terminal and airport facilities architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report.