![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/PIT-New-Terminal_Interior-07_Design-Credit-Gensler-HDR-in-association-with-luis-vidal-architects_Pho.jpeg\")
Image: Ema Peter.<\/p>\n
The Terminal Modernization Program (TMP)<\/a> introduced an 800,000 ft\u00b2 landside building that transforms how passengers arrive, check in, and move through the airport. But achieving that seamlessness required more than designing new systems. It required strategically weaving new, high\u2011efficiency infrastructure into legacy systems that had to remain live \u2013 central plants, controls platforms, and the airport\u2019s campus microgrid \u2013 and doing so in a way that eliminated risk, preserved safety, and set up the terminal for a multi\u2011decade lifecycle. Working closely with Gensler<\/a> and HDR<\/a>, in association with luis vidal + architects<\/a>, Buro Happold embedded performance-based thinking into every decision.<\/p>\n Airports are complex machines, but they should never feel that way to the people moving through them. Our job was to make the complexity feel invisible so the terminal could feel simple, calm, and unmistakably Pittsburgh. That balance \u2013 clarity on the surface, sophistication underneath \u2013 is what makes this project special.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeremy Snyder, US Aviation Director, Buro Happold<\/p>\n The integration challenge: aligning a reimagined terminal with aging campus systems while keeping it running<\/p>\n Pittsburgh\u2019s former \u201990s hub\u2011era layout separated landside and airside buildings with an Automatic People Mover (APM). Transitioning to a compact, origin\u2011and\u2011destination terminal meant retiring the APM, expanding landside spaces, and simplifying the connection to the concourses \u2013 all while maintaining live airport operations.<\/p>\n This shift carried high stakes:<\/p>\n The terminal\u2019s large open volumes and rolling\u2011hills roof demanded precise thermal strategies to manage Pittsburgh\u2019s extreme seasonal swings.<\/p>\n Highly glazed facades risked glare, downdrafts, and condensation unless tightly integrated with HVAC and envelope systems.<\/p>\n Baggage hall geometry, dwell times, and stack-effect behavior required non\u2011standard solutions.<\/p>\n The existing 1990s central plant and controls framework had to stay active throughout construction and cutover.<\/p>\n In short: the airport couldn\u2019t pause. Every system had to perform during the transition.<\/p>\n The solution: precision systems engineering that fused legacy and new infrastructure<\/p>\n One analysis model, decisions grounded in data: We used whole\u2011building energy modeling and a Single Analysis Model to test loads, compare energy conservation measures, and calibrate systems to inform decisions and compliment the architecture. This analytical backbone set the stage for a clear, high\u2011precision basis of design.<\/p>\n Displacement ventilation that preserves the architecture: In tall, high\u2011volume areas (especially the baggage hall) we implemented displacement\u2011style ventilation (DV) with low\u2011level supply integrated into the baggage carousels and fixed elements. This preserved the open ceiling language, improved stratification control, consolidated maintenance to non\u2011public areas, cut fan energy, and created a calmer acoustic and visual environment. We validated comfort using computational fluid dynamic software (CFD) to manage stack effect at peak conditions and to place spot cooling where baggage tugs and facilities teams operate nearly 24\/7, eliminating freezing risks and maximizing efficiency of baggage distribution.<\/p>\n Envelope\u2011aware strategies for comfort and energy: We paired an outside\u2011air economizer with total energy recovery wheels to maximize seasonal efficiency and trim peak heating and cooling loads. Custom finned\u2011tube radiators along the facade temper downdrafts; mid\u2011level finned\u2011tubes mitigate cold\u2011glass effects where glazing exceeds 16ft; pedestal finned\u2011tubes at skylight valleys prevent winter condensation. Automated shading protects comfort in long\u2011dwell and staff zones while reducing cooling energy.<\/p>\n Phased central plant strategy: We studied the existing chiller plant and recommended a measured replacement sequence that accounts for refrigerant leakage rates, global warming potential, energy cost, and payback. This enables upgrades over time \u2013 avoiding a capital spike \u2013 while maintaining reliability for the modernized terminal.<\/p>\n Legacy controls and a maintainable platform: We maintained clear separations between new and legacy systems where it made economic sense and worked with the airport to create a BMS that integrates legacy controls into a long\u2011term platform via open protocols. Parallel commissioning mirrored critical points (smoke control, pressurization, emergency lighting) to allow validation before sequence handoff, protecting operations throughout the cutover.<\/p>\n Power, resilience, and the microgrid: The airport\u2019s campus microgrid provides independent, resilient power with islanding and black\u2011start capabilities. Our electrical integration synchronized new terminal loads and controls with generation and protection schemes, ensuring coordination, load\u2011shedding logic, and transfer sequences that safeguard life\u2011safety, security screening, baggage, and vertical transport during abnormal events.<\/p>\n We overlaid a modern BMS that interoperates with legacy platforms \u2013 preserving current operational consistency while unlocking optimization in the new terminal.<\/p>\n Jeremy Snyder<\/p>\n Delivery in practice: Local presence and tight coordination<\/p>\n Our Pittsburgh\u2011based team collaborated side\u2011by\u2011side with the architects, the airport, and contractors from concept through construction and into commissioning. We used BIM to coordinate services tightly, organized air handling and power distribution around what must be shared between landside and airside vs. what should remain distinct, and routed life\u2011safety devices discreetly in public areas while keeping plantrooms and back\u2011of\u2011house routes clear and organized for operations.<\/p>\n Results: A terminal for Pittsburgh \u2013 and ready for tomorrow<\/p>\n The rebalanced landside\u2011to\u2011airside relationship eliminates the APM, reduces travel time, and simplifies operations. Architectural gestures echo Pittsburgh\u2019s hills and river valleys \u2014 and the engineering ensures that the experience feels intuitive, comfortable, and calm.<\/p>\n And a modernized plant, integrated controls platform, and synchronized microgrid create long-term resilience.<\/p>\n DV and energy recovery reduce peaks and fan power.<\/p>\n Finned\u2011tubes eliminate downdrafts and condensation risk.<\/p>\n BIM coordination improved constructability and future maintenance.<\/p>\n We weren\u2019t just installing systems \u2013 we were integrating them into a terminal that had to connect to a microgrid, reduce energy use, stay live during construction and perform on day one.<\/p>\n Jeremy Snyder<\/p>\n Opened November 18, 2025, the modernized terminal now stands as a benchmark for how integrated engineering can unite old and new systems \u2013 delivering clarity for passengers, operational reliability for the airport, and value for decades to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"How Buro Happold\u2019s integrated systems engineering kept the airport operating while building a resilient terminal for the future.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":128534,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[3855,1817,5603,59832,73,75,74],"class_list":["post-128533","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pittsburgh","tag-airport","tag-airports","tag-aviation","tag-integrated-systems","tag-pittsburgh","tag-pittsburgh-headlines","tag-pittsburgh-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128533","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128533"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128533\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128534"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128533"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128533"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128533"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/PIT-New-Terminal_Exterior-1_Design-Credit-Gensler-HDR-in-association-with-luis-vidal-architects_Phot.jpeg\")
Image: Ema Peter.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/PIT-New-Terminal_Interior-02_Design-Credit-Gensler-HDR-in-association-with-luis-vidal-architects_Pho.jpeg\")
Image: Ema Peter.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/PIT-New-Terminal_Interior-10_Design-Credit-Gensler-HDR-in-association-with-luis-vidal-architects_Pho.jpeg\")
Image: Ema Peter.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/PIT-New-Terminal_Exterior-6_Design-Credit-Gensler-HDR-in-association-with-luis-vidal-architects_Phot.jpeg\")
Image: Ema Peter.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/PIT-New-Terminal_Drone-1_Design-Credit-Gensler-HDR-in-association-with-luis-vidal-architects_Video-C.jpeg\")
Image: Wendell Weithers.<\/p>\n