32
ASIA-PACIFIC AIRPORTS MAGAZINE
AIRPORT DESIGN
Playing the long game Sustainable design must be high on the agenda of the world’s airports post COVID-19 to enable the industry to build back better, writes Roger Swinbourne, Arup's sustainability leader for the Australasia region.
S
ustainability is a concept that aims to optimise outcomes for human and natural environments, both now and with a view to the long-term future. The ultimate goal of sustainable policies and practices is to provide a framework to guide human activity so that societies and economies can reach their greatest potential in the present without compromising future generations’ ability to do the same. Sustainability affects every level of humanity, from local neighbourhoods to the global community as a whole. It is also important to recognise that sustainability is a systems problem and, to an extent, a subjective term. Actions and outcomes can be considered more or less sustainable than others. Put simply, it is not a yes-or-no answer or a simple technical solution. The decision-making process is therefore vital to the long-term implementation of sustainable strategies, policies and practices. All decisions must consider the level at which they operate, the timeframe involved and the long-term impacts of each decision. Essentially, progress is subject to not only current decision making but all future APA Issue 2, 2020
decisions being directed towards a better long-term future. The emerging trends outlined below will impact how airports are designed and operate in the future. Consideration of these factors in the planning and design of airports will be significantly more cost-efficient than a deep retrofit at a later date. Furthermore, designing an airport that is appropriately future-proofed and considered best-in-class will both mitigate climate related risks and enable a favourable assessment from a prospective buyer or regulator in the future. The following points set out some of the opportunities to change business as usual that may enable the industry to bounce back better following the current challenges.
FUTURE RESOURCE TRENDS
Supply and demand of energy, water and materials are shifting with the impact of dynamic technology, market and political change. This changing risk and cost dynamic create opportunities to proactively realise the benefits, and reduce risk, for acting early to reduce demand and secure supply or alternative approaches (PV/renewables).
