Owner
Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority
Architect
Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects / Leo A Daly
Facade Consultant
Curtainwall Design Consulting
GC
Morganti, McGaughan / Dick Corporation
Completion
1998
Program
975,000 sqft expansion
Building Type
Transportation
Technology Type
Truss Systems, Skylights
Facade
Design/build program including over 300,000 sqft of custom curtainwall on an exposed steel strongback support structure, with additional skylights, glass ceilings and exterior canopies included in the facade program
Glass
Insulated glass units, low-e coating
Description
New terminals B and C add 35 gates and display vaulted ceilings nearly 100 ft tall, which in addition to the glass facades, skylights and canopies provide natural light
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Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport — or Reagan National Airport as it is more commonly referred to — is the closest airport to Washington, D.C. This 1998 expansion represents the largest growth of the airport since its original opening in 1941, adding 35 gates with the arrival of new terminals B and C.
The nearly one million square foot expansion was designed with a strong commitment to energy efficiency. The new terminals have vaulted ceilings reaching nearly 100 feet, with one entire glass facade running the length of the building. The terminals include skylights, domes and glass ceilings as part of the energy conscious design. Heat gain and loss is controlled with double glazed glass, custom frit patterns and low-e coating. Energy savings result from the reduced electrical load generated by artificial lighting. The glass facades, canopies and skylights flood the concourse areas of the terminals with diffused daylight. Light sensors and control systems monitor natural light levels and reduce (or turn off) artificial light fixtures as appropriate.
The Enclos design team developed a custom unitized curtainwall system that integrates with an exposed long span steel framing system, with vertical steel trusses reaching from floor to rooftop. Deeper units were used at the lower levels to provide uninterrupted sightlines. A band of art glass was integrated into the curtainwall system. The entire system was fabricated offsite as prefabricated and pre-finished building components, and then delivered in sequence to the building site for installation by Enclos field crews. |
