Systems Integration Goals Structure & Enclosure
• Framing system: Post & Beam with Steel • Uniting building structure with the airport’s enclosure system. • Expressing the structure and using it as part of the design to create the space. • Utilize the structure to support the large open spaces and functions of the airport. • Decrease heat load and the need for artificial lighting through daylighting and enclosure systems. • Using structure as a wayfinding tool. • Use airport transportation vehicles to transport passengers from departures lobby to their aircraft, thus reducing overall building length and building space.
Materials
• Enhancing the use of steel as a structural material and incorporating it into the airport not only as a structural component but a material and a finish. • Using materials, structure and open spaces to create a sense of place as well as creating an identity for the airport.
Illumination
• Utilize skylights, clerestories and other daylighting techniques to provide natural lighting throughout the building’s open spaces.
Existing Buildings
• Integrate existing facilities with the new International Arrivals Terminal • Create an exterior courtyard entryway / outdoor lounge allowing passengers a view of the airfield as well as providing a place for visiotrs and passengers to relax before their travels
Structural Precedent
Mineta San Jose International Airport Fentress Architects San Jose, California
Arrivals Section
I started to explore the San Jose Mineta International Airport. I chose this building as a structural precedent because of the variety of interior and exterior materials. Materials used include Perforated Stainless Steel throughout the skin placed in front of curtain wall glass with the use steel as structure. The Arrivals Lobby, designed by Fentress Architects connects to the concourse of the terminal, designed by Gensler. The concourse is located inside of the shell where it connects structurally with the arching structural steel I beams that connect to exterior columns that connect to the ground. The interior contains steel, wood and other materials.
Materials
The Terminal includes the use of a shell covering the functional spaces within the terminal. Inside of the arrivals lobby, the building’s exterior columns are slanted outwards and are located behind the curtain wall.
This led me to explore alternatives of slanted columns, specifically V- shaped and Y - shaped columns. Upon further research I found that a multitude of airport terminals have exterior supporting columns that are slanted, V - shaped, Y shaped or some combination of these.
Structural Exploration
The overall structural concept I chose was a shell containing the more concrete spaces of the terminal within. Steel columns would serve as intermediate supports, supporting the repeated steel frame of the shell. The use of a shell allows maximum manipulation of the building form. This along with the use of steel, aluminum paneling and glass curtain walls aids in the creation of the more urban Florida look, satisfying the “Florida Myth� as well as the project statement and the conceptual intent of the project. The use of wood gives the interior a warm welcoming feel, further satisfying each. Project Statement: Resolving issues of scale between the passengers and the building and creating identity using the local feel and spirit of place of Tallahassee as well as maintaining the Travel Myths of Florida. Conceptual Intent: Maximizing clues to identity in a building that is a machine for processing passengers. Working clues to identity into a building that does not want to have it functionally.
Structural Precedent
Adolfo Suårez Madrid – Barajas Airport Richard Rodgers Partnership Madrid, Spain
Structure
An important part of the airport pertaining to transportation was the use of airport transportation vehicles which transports passengers waiting in the departures lounge to their proper aircraft on the airport apron. The vehicles connect to the terminal through the Departure Lounge which opposed to the traditional boarding process has gates formulated for the vehicles and other passenger conveyance systems instead of gates formulated for aircraft.
Structure & Enclosure
Hollow Steel Extrustion & Cable Stayed Truss Systems
I explored the idea of truss systems to further support the angled roof shapes as well as the larger spans of some peices of the structure. The truss systems primarly depend on hollow steel extrustions and cable stayed connections to create a light structure that supports longer spanning distances and larger floor sections.