b'TERMINALSSAN41Because Terminal 1 is a progressive design-build project,The lengthy list of green design elements includes a stormwater construction could begin before the design was 100% complete.reuse system with a 3-million-gallon cistern on the north side of It also provided time for designers to add the buckling-restrainedthe airfield and a 1-million-gallon cistern on the south side. The braces, which allowed lateral and gravity loads to be placed onairport also captures condensation from the air handling units on the outside of the building. Stevens explains that this eliminatedjet bridges and planted drought-tolerant landscaping in front of many of the large, cumbersome support columns throughout thethe new building.terminal and created a much more seamless flow.Years of designing large-scale buildings has taught Young that Young explains that buckling-restrained braces are not typicallylights are usually the biggest component of an airports utility used in airport terminals because the diagonal structural membersbill. With this project, the objective was to dramatically reduce are immovable and restrict future design flexibility. So weelectricity consumption by leveraging San Diegos abundant natural intentionally placed these braces in locations which will not restrictlight. One of the things we did was harvest daylight, says Young, likely future expansions, he comments. The braces reduced thenoting the goal to eventually use only electric lights after dark. number of interior columns and, in turn, helped decrease the totalDuring the next project phase, a photovoltaic system will volume of steel needed for the project. Shafer-Payne estimatesbe installed on the roof of Terminal 1 to supply a total of 9.5 the associated cost savings at nearly $60 million.megawatts of electricity, A battery energy storage system will store power coming from the photovoltaic system. Shafer-Payne Sustainable Design notes that this stored energy will help shave off peak energy As the first major U.S. airport to create a formal sustainabilitydemand in the early mornings when terminal lights and TSA policy for new construction and renovations, SAN is considered anequipment are activated. industry leader in environmentally responsible infrastructure. The airport achieved LEED Platinum certification for its Terminal 2 GreenTerminal FeaturesBuild expansion in 2013 and is pursuing LEED v4 Silver certificationThe recently completed Phase 1A of the Terminal 1 project for the Terminal 1 project. constructed 940,000 square feet of what will ultimately be aMoving airports forwardAdvancing capital projects with solutions that optimize the passenger experience, sustainability, resilience, and budgets.Burns provides clients with the full range of airport planning, design, and construction support services. Our specialized engineering expertise transforms passenger facilities, modernizes airside infrastructure, and enhances critical power and utility systems.burns-group.comAirportImprovement.comNovember | December 2025'