Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has achieved LEED Gold certification for its new Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). This makes the 1,250,000ft² facility the largest LEED Gold airport terminal in the USA.
Designed by Fentress Architects, TBIT is not only sustainable, it is the USA’s most technologically advanced airport to date. The new terminal’s interior architecture comprises seven large media features with more than 12,000ft²of LED tiles and hundreds of LCD screens. Sophisticated multimedia productions depicting vignettes from around the world entertain arriving and departing passengers.
The Bradley West project includes a 15-gate terminal and concourse, an international arrivals facility, passenger security checkpoints, an inline baggage screening system and more than 100,000ft² of concessions.
The 2014 passenger numbers reflected a 6% increase over 2013, and with nearly 71 million passengers, LAX is now the second busiest airport in the USA, just behind Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta.
Sustainability was a key focus of the Bradley West program and all projects incorporate sustainable design features that promote energy efficiency while mitigating adverse environmental impacts. The new terminal is bright and airy, with abundant natural daylight and ventilation to minimize energy use. Low-E glass was used along the airside concourse to minimize heat gain, and lighting controls reduce energy use. Low-flow water fixtures have reduced water usage by 47.8% over baseline predictions. The building structure and finishes employed regional and recycled materials.
Sustainable techniques used during construction included designating specific routes to and from the site for construction vehicles and recycling construction materials and demolition debris. Concrete mixers and other equipment were placed on site to reduce the number of trips made, and construction equipment was retrofitted with emission- and noise-reduction devices.