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A PR IL 2018 | 65 Northwest Regional Airport Terrace-Kitimat RENDERINGS COURTESY OFFICE OF MCFARLANE BIGGAR ARCHITECTS + DESIGNERS INC. Northwest Regional Airport Terrace-Kitimat by ROBIN BRUNET L ocated 10 kilometres west of Terrace, the Northwest Regional Airport Terrace-Kitimat is the closest and best-equipped airport in the region to handle an expected increase in aviation demand from 177,600 passengers in 2013 (a 28 per- cent increase from the previous year) to over 250,000 passengers within the next few years. However, the anticipated organic growth of the region over the next 20 years required the implementation – in phases – of a 20-year master plan, one of the most noteworthy ingredients of which is the expansion of the air termi- nal facility and long-term parking. "When we got involved in this proj- ect four years ago, everyone was very aware that the airport was critical to resource-dependent communities and a lifeline to the rest of the world," says Steve McFarlane, principal at Office of McFarlane Biggar Architects + Designers (OMB). "Even though it was small com- pared to similar facilities we've designed and expanded upon, the Northwest Regional project was complex – espe- cially considering traffic to and from the facility continued unabated during design and construction." The expansion added 15,000 square feet to the existing terminal, almost doubling its size, and included a new and larger check-in area with relocated airline offices, a new checked baggage drop facility, and an enlarged security lounge. Also, three gates would serve the public, and a covered walkway would bring travellers closer to air- craft, minimizing outside exposure. As for the parking area, a third area was created west of the terminal to accommodate car rental tenants. A traf- fic and master plan was developed by L&M Engineering of Prince George that involved an expanded long-term lot to accommodate 800 vehicles, up from 500. In October of 2014, a third aircraft stand was commissioned to allow more convenient queuing for the airlines. Shortly after OMB was retained in 2014, it was determined that the logic of the design would be driven by the seam- less flow of passengers from check-in to airplane, and upon arrival from the plane to bag pick-up, car rental, and curbside pick-up. "We delved into the work by putting ourselves in the eyes of a single passenger, as well as those of the airlines, airport staff, and security personnel," says McFarlane. The architect goes on to note that "the perfect building for us would be one without signage, and to a substan- tial degree we achieved this in the expansion design. For example, we decided to highlight the destinations within the terminal with roof lanterns that introduce light from above. "Specifically, they create a series of 'stepping stones' beginning when pas- sengers park their cars: a roof lantern that is naturally lit during the day and artificially lit at night points them to the entry. From there, they take notice of another roof lantern above the check in area. After check in is secu- rity, which we deliberately created as a black box experience to ensure pri- vacy; and then a series of skylights takes the passengers past the restau- rants and other amenities into the departure lounge." If light plays an important role in wayfinding, the Northwest Regional Airport management ensured it would be a spectacular component of the departure lounge, where floor- to-ceiling glazing to the south offers expansive views of the Kitimat Ranges of the Coast Mountains. "Taking advan- tage of this solar exposure also offsets heating demand within the facility and floods the common public areas with natural light," says Carman Hendry, manager of the Northwest Regional Airport Terrace-Kitimat. The shape of the expanded termi- nal building was designed to reflect the bold, simple forms of regional industrial facilities. For warmth, OMB created an extensive interior wood ceiling, constructed of local hemlock to unite the common areas and create consistency between the new addition and the existing terminal. Dennis Palmu, construction man- ager for Northwest Construction Services, describes the project "as a combination of new build and renova- tion, with a large portion of the new build proceeding first, followed by work on the parking area, then utilities, and then a mix of new build and renova- tion. Therefore, planning was thorough to minimize conflicts, but frequently we couldn't determine ideal phasing until construction on different portions of the project was already under way." Weather was one challenge for the builders, with the winter of 2016 being particularly severe during excavation and concrete work. "Unlike Edmonton or Calgary, Terrace isn't a big enough city to have a ready-mix plant that operates year-round, and there aren't enough heated storage facilities for aggregate," says Palmu. "But because its winters consist of many freeze and thaw cycles, we patterned ourselves to act during these windows." Northwest was tasked with creat- ing sandwich foundation walls for the LOCATION 4401 Bristol Road, Terrace, B.C. OWNER/DEVELOPER Northwest Regional Airport Terrace-Kitimat ARCHITECT Office of McFarlane Biggar Architects + Designers Inc. CONSTRUCTION MANAGER Northwest Construction Services STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT Equilibrium Consulting Inc. MECHANICAL CONSULTANT Integral Group ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT WSP Canada Inc. CIVIL/TESTING CONSULTANT McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. TOTAL SIZE 30,000 square feet (expanded air terminal) TOTAL COST $18 million terminal consisting of an eight-inch thick concrete core, external insula- tion, and four inches of concrete on top of that. "It was a learning curve for the trades because it's the first time such walls were built in Terrace," says Palmu. "One of the additives had to be imported from Texas in order to facilitate pouring and placing, and to achieve the specified appearance. And because most of the exterior veneer of the concrete foundation walls and shear walls required rebar grids and ties, we had to add super- plasticizers to the mix and then attach vibrators to the wall forms in order to avoid honeycombing. Given that the walls were 30 feet above grade in some places, lifts were also required for the pours." Although the 20-year airport mas- ter plan includes many other elements to be developed in the future, including new facilities for the Canadian Border Services Agency and new taxiways, the terminal building expansion has already had a positive impact on pas- sengers. "A lot of them have gone out of their way to email or message us to say how much they enjoy the new terminal, which is extremely satisfying," says McFarlane. "This was a well organized project that saw everyone rise to the occasion and do their best work in close collaboration with one another. We're very happy with the result." A 8:58 AM 8:51 AM

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