Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/354800
Fort McMurray International Airport Expansion by Lawrence Herzog ALL PHOTOS: PHIL STARK / COURTESY LEDCOR CONSTRUCTION LIMITED E ven before it opened, Fort McMurray's new $258-million passenger terminal was winning awards. It was chosen as one of 11 recipients of the 2013 Canadian Architect Award of Excellence for its innovation and overall design excellence. Situated on a greenfield site just south of the previous terminal, the new facility was designed and built for the demanding northern climate with features that conserve energy and reduce environmental impact. At 15,000 square metres, the three-storey terminal has a floor area the size of two-and-a-half football fields and is five times larger than the old terminal. It can accommodate 1.5 million passengers a year, more than double the current volume, and its flexible design will ease expansion as demand warrants. The new terminal is highly functional, comfortable, convenient and efficient for passengers and the men and women who work there. It has four aircraft bridges, eight aircraft parking stands, two baggage carousels, more than 2,200 powered parking stalls, three restaurants and 16 retail and fast-food outlets. High windows and ceilings let ample natural daylight in through triple-glazed units, illuminating premium finishes such as terrazzo flooring and acoustic wood panels. Cross laminated timber (CLT) panels are integrated into the roof structure along with exposed structural Glulam members. The project used 1.4-million pounds of wood equalling 954,000 board feet of pine lumber in its roof, making it the largest CLT beam project in North America. y AUGUST 2014 /61 Fort McMurray International Airport Expansion