Smart building technology provider View has unveiled its Smart Windows installation at the 350,000ft2 expansion of Terminal 5 at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in Illinois.
Designed by the architecture firms Muller2 and HOK, the US$1bn Terminal 5 is intended to mimic the sleek form of an airplane wing and includes floor-to-ceiling View windows that increase natural light and offer expansive views of the runway. The expansion also includes a new Delta Sky Club premium lounge facility also featuring View Smart Windows.
View’s Smart Windows use artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize the amount of natural light in the terminal while minimizing heat and glare, to provide a more comfortable and healthier environment for passengers. In addition, smart windows reduce energy consumption by lowering cooling loads.
In a study on the impact of natural light and the airport experience, passengers rated a concourse with View Smart Windows as 33% more modern, efficient, bright and comfortable than one with traditional windows. Passengers were also 68% more likely to report being “very satisfied” with their overall experience in gates with View Smart Windows.
Dr Piers MacNaughton, vice president of institutional business at View, said, “This project sets the standard for sustainable, passenger-centric airport design. We are proud to contribute to O’Hare’s sustainability initiatives and make a good first impression of Chicago for the millions of passengers that travel through Terminal 5 each year.”
In her speech at the opening of the expansion, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said, “This is incredible. It is big, it is wide, it is bright, it is welcoming, and we are lucky to have this work done here.”
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