Offsite construction featured in LAX concourse project

An innovative Offsite Construction and Relocation (OCR) method featured prominently in an expansion of LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal. Nine building segments were constructed offsite and transported 1.75 miles across the airfield and then assembled on location.

Part of the airport’s broader multi-billion-dollar modernization initiative, MSC South adds about 150,000 sf and eight gates for narrowbody aircraft. Building segments were transported to the site during overnight operations using Mammoet’s Self-Propelled Modular Transporters, with runway closures timed to ensure safety and minimal operational impact.

Once assembled, the modular structure, with its demountable seismic joints and highly coordinated utility infrastructure, provides a flexible, sustainable design that can be disassembled and relocated in the future if needed.

MSC South thematically blends indoors and outdoors through a design that celebrates Southern California’s quality of light. The exterior facade features an integral performance-driven angled brise soleil that reduces glare and solar radiation while maximizing outdoor views. Floor-to-ceiling glass windows accentuate exterior views. The layout also draws inspiration from the emblematic architecture of modernist Case Study Houses.

Architecturally, the concourse creates a sense of place that celebrates and pays homage to the City of Los Angeles, with elements strongly influenced by notable modernist homes. For example, the exterior brise soleil system—a solar shading feature on the concourse’s façade—frames sightlines of the surrounding L.A. landscape.

The brise soleil system will also enable passive cooling and energy conservation, helping the project achieve its LEED silver accreditation goal. The project team was composed of local workers, with more than 30% of the team coming from Los Angeles’s local workforce.

“MSC South reflects a new paradigm for how we think about large-scale aviation projects, from delivery to design,” said Matt Ducharme, Woods Bagot’s West Coast design leader. “We’re incredibly proud to partner with LAWA on this visionary project, and to see it now completed and ready to serve the people of Los Angeles and travelers from around the world.”

Owner and/or developer: Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), a self‑supporting department of the City of Los Angeles
Design architect: Woods Bagot Los Angeles
Associate Architect: Raw International
Mechanical and Plumbing Engineer: Syska Hennessy Group
Electrical Engineer: PBS Engineering
Structural engineer: Buro Happold
General contractor/construction manager: W.E. O'Neil Construction