Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is on track to attain LEED Silver certification for its huge new Maynard H. Jackson International Terminal, airport officials say.
The green building certification would be the first for a terminal at the world’s busiest airport, although one small airport fire station has been granted LEED while another is expecting to earn LEED Silver.
According to Hartsfield-Jackson spokesman Albert Snedeker:
A rendering of the departures area at the Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal. Image credit: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
The [Jackson terminal] is earning LEED certification points by using recycled and/or regionally produced construction materials, optimizing energy performance and reducing water usage.
One of the most impressive sustainability features of the 1.2 million-square-foot terminal and concourse structure is a 25,000-cubic-foot “water box.” This structure collects rainwater from the roof of the international terminal and concourse and cleanses it through a series of filters before releasing it back into environment. The process greatly reduces the environmental impact to surrounding groundwater.
Another key part of the international terminal’s sustainability program is ensuring the quality of indoor air. For example, low-chemical-emitting paints, sealants, carpeting and adhesives are being used throughout the facility.
Environmentally friendly cleaning products and techniques, along with increased ventilation and monitoring of incoming outdoor air, also will earn LEED points for the $1.4 billion project.
The LEED program, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is run by the U.S. Green Building Council. Facilities can earn four levels of certification: the basic level, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
LEED Silver is a slightly less ambitious a target than what’s been achieved on major projects at some other large airports. By law, its the minimum goal for a City of Atlanta facility. A new terminal at New Delhi, India’s Indira Gandhi International Airport recently received LEED Gold certification, and San Francisco International Airport’s Terminal 2, reopened earlier this month after a $383 million overhaul its expected to attain LEED Gold in Existing Buildings.
Closer to home — and on much smaller scale — Atlanta’s Jeffrey Ross-Bain recently served as LEED consultant for the 5,000-square-foot, LEED Gold General Aviation Building at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport in S.C.
On the other hand, the Jackson terminal will be a big step for the world’s busiest airport — almost all of which was built before LEED even existed. Hartsfield-Jackson officials say they’ve taken steps already to improve the airport’s environmental performance in the main terminal, particularly with water conversation. In addition, the airport’s main terminal has reduced by installing energy efficient lighting and, in 2009, the airport replaced more than 125 rental-car shuttle buses with the automated, electric ATL SkyTrain people mover.
Construction on the Jackson Terminal began in 2008 and is expected to be complete in April 2012. The consortium building the facility, Holder Manhattan Moody Hunt, is led by Atlanta-based Holder Construction.
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