Employee-owned HNTB, an architecture, civil engineering consulting and construction management firm, and a member of the ESCA board, has added new flair to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), with their new design for the airport’s control tower. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in June to launch construction on this breakthrough project, which is intended to add a fresh touch to a popular and frequently-used airline portal.
The old SFO tower has not been remodeled since 1988 and its replacement is a $102 million project. HNTB reports that its employee owners were up to the challenge, putting in place a design model that met all demands and exceeded expectations.
HNTB employee owners designed the new tower to have a slender base, and included a corridor at the base for passengers and airport visitors. HNTB also worked to give the design a lively and modern feel since the existing tower was originally built in the 1960s and sits on top of offices that were built in the 1950s.
Working with airports is nothing new for HNTB. The company has a long history of delivering a wide range of airside and landside services and projects — including terminals, runways, and airport planning — to the largest airports in the U.S. They were also ranked second in airports for “Top Design Firm Go-To Lists 2011” by Roads & Bridges magazine.
The project will be completed in the fall of 2014 and the goal is to achieve LEED Gold certification. HNTB’s fellow ESCA members look forward to seeing the outcome, as well as future projects from the company’s employee owners.