design
challenge
sustainable flying
Our cities are growing and a rash of new major
economic centres is set to emerge worldwide.
How will new and existing airports cope with
demand, while keeping environmental and
social impacts to a minimum?
Blue sky thinking
Early in 2008, the General Administration of Civil Aviation heat and power technology provides around 85 per cent of
in China committed to building 100 new airports by 2020 to its energy needs. Melbourne airport in australia has coated its
meet soaring demand from freight and passenger traffic. beijing terminal roof with a special paint that has cut air-conditioning
alone required a bigger hub to cope with the 2008 Olympic and requirements by half. Hamburg airport, meanwhile, has designed
Paralympic games, and the sheer size of its new terminal building its new terminal 1 with a “thermo-labyrinth”, which uses the
– bigger than all of london Heathrow’s combined – literally speaks temperature of the ground beneath to cool and heat the building.
volumes. the need for greater airport capacity is reaching critical the immediate local impact isn’t only on the environment.
32 mass. atkins has already won five government sponsored design Worldwide, the collective voice of those living near airports is
competitions for new airport terminals in China in recent years, getting louder as traffic increases. areas such as the south-east
with more to come in the near future. of england and the bos-Wash corridor of the north-east us are
according to Robert aaronson, director general of airports nearing critical mass. Pressure groups argue that sleeplessness and
Council international (aCi), a not-for-profit group representing the stress caused by excessive noise can lead to an increase in blood
views of the world’s airports, the issue of capacity is also hitting pressure, and higher risk of heart attacks and strokes.
airports in europe and north america. faced with such pressure, the industry has responded, says
“the only solutions are to build more airport capacity and use aaronson, pointing to a rise in the use of fixed electrical ground
existing capacity more efficiently,” he says. in its latest forecasts of power at airports around the world as proof of its commitment.
global traffic, the aCi has identified a capacity shortfall of a billion “a parked aircraft can plug into the airport’s electricity grid and
passengers by 2020. feed off terminal air-conditioning, rather than have the aircraft run
Clearly, the aviation industry – on the ground and in the air – a small generator to provide energy while it is at the stand,” says
will have to engage in some radical thinking if passenger demand aaronson. “numerous airports have invested in these units, which
is to be met, especially if it is to allay mounting environmental and reduce emissions and noise. i think their use will become standard
social concerns. at all airports in the next few years.”
the optimism is shared by the people behind the silent aircraft
On the ground initiative, a project funded by the Cambridge-Mit-institute and with
aaronson believes a number of innovations will start to raise support from major partners in the airline industry. those involved
airports’ sustainability credentials over the next few years. in believe its goal – to develop an aircraft so quiet that it can barely
particular, he sees a growing trend towards solar electricity be heard beyond the airport perimeter – could become reality
generation. “the large roof spaces of terminal and other airport before 2030.
buildings are ideal surfaces for installing photovoltaic cells, for
example,” explains aaronson. “a significant number of airports Model airplanes
are already using this technology, and i think it will become With air traffic predicted to rise by another billion passengers by
increasingly popular.” 2020, the aircraft will also need to innovate to improve efficiency
airport design is already stepping up to the challenge. at and minimise their impact, in the sky and on the ground.
london Heathrow terminal 5, for example, combined cooling, Roger gardner heads up Omega, an academic organisation
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52