b'10 EYWTERMINALSMore GlassInside the terminal, EYW management wanted to provide a window seat for everyone. To that end, the new concourse is wrapped in glass on three sides. On the north side, an expansive 28-foot-tall, 600-foot-long glass curtain wall from Viracon offers uninterrupted views of the airfield and Atlantic Ocean. Dubbe considers this extensive use of glass another step in recreating the airports Designers transformed holdroom areas with new furniture, carpeting and walls previous ground boarding experience. Now, of auto-tinting glass.passengers exit their aircraft onto an elevated platform, still immersed in the islands natural beauty but safe from airside risks.While the glass provides stunning views for passengers, it also poses potential danger to hundreds of migratory bird species that use the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways, which EYW sits in the direct path of.AVIATIONWe did a lot of outreach with the Audubon Society and the local public to hear their concerns, Mafera says. The solution came in the form of small dots, or ceramic frits, fused into the glass two inches apart. The subtle visual pattern helps prevent birds from seeing their own reflection, which can encourage them to fly into the building.Marni Windschitl,an architectural glass associateat Viracon, notes that the company provided about 18,000 square feet of glass with bird-friendly markings. Three layers of We get it!a silver coating with low exterior reflectance further helps reduce bird strikes, she adds.Airports needsWith Key West basking in more than 3,000 hours of sunshine per yearand up change. Smartto 11 hours per day during summerthe design team had to take into account glare and the buildings thermal envelope when Solutions &incorporating so much glass. The airport is, luckily, largely northern Responsiblefacing, which is the easiest of all the orientations to mitigate for glare, Dubbe says. For the east and west sides, which are Recommendationssubject to harsher lighting angles and karst our approach,glare, the project team considered shading are paramount. devices like roller screens or fixed louvers to unique. our results,modulate the sun. But each presented cost or maintenance challenges, and they would unmatched. have obscured the view, eliminating the AVIATION CONSULTANTS . MEADHUNT.COM . EXPERIENCE EXCEPTIONAL desired window seat effect.Instead, designers specified FULL-SERVICE AVIATION CONSULTANTS . MEADHUNT.COM . EXPERIENCE EXCEPTIONAL electrochromic glass, a high-tech material that can automatically adjust its tint based on the changing intensity of ambient July | August 2025AirportImprovement.com'