LaGuardia Terminal B Redesign: Reimagining the Airport

Adam Ballantyne November 3, 2020

Airports are some of the most diverse and critical pieces of infrastructure in the rapidly expanding modern world. With the ability to connect cities 50 miles apart, or even countries separated by 5000 miles of ocean, they foster economic growth by providing business and vacation opportunities to some of the most unique destinations on the planet. As a pilot myself, airports are an escape from the urban bustle into the serenity of the skies, providing an opportunity to view the amazing progress of humanity from a very different and greatly unseen perspective.

HOK, one of the largest engineering and architectural firms in the country, was recently presented with the challenge of redesigning New York’s LaGuardia International Airport Terminal B in an effort to rethink ergonomics while improving efficiency and overall passenger experience. Join me, along with HOK Design Principal Peter Ruggiero, as we discuss current airport layouts, their inherent shortcomings, and how this information was used to redesign LaGuardia’s Terminal B into an airport of the future.

Peter’s career has been dedicated to reimagining all sorts of commercial spaces; However, he is well known for his role in projects regarding John F Kennedy International, Washington Dulles International, Newark Liberty International, and Chicago O’Hare International.

Types of Airports

Changi Complex: Future Travel Experience

There are three main airport terminal configurations; Linear, finger, and satellite.

Linear Configuration

Linear terminals are the simplest of the three, consisting of a building that separates planes and cars. Passengers enter the airport from the car side while planes jet bridge dock or park on the other side. Linear airports are very common for regional applications where aviation traffic is not as heavy. The Mangalore International Airport in Karnataka, India is an excellent example of a linear design, take note of the separation provided by the terminal building;

Mangalore International Airport: Wikimedia

Finger Configuration

The finger concept expands on the linear configuration through the extension of “fingers” to accommodate a higher volume of planes. The main terminal building is referred to as the headhouse, and fingers were seen as a simple yet necessary solution to transform former linear designs to accommodate the rapid growth of the airline industry. The check - in area is on a wall when entering the building from the street side, and the security area usually bisects the headhouse horizontally.

This concept revolutionized flying and allowed airports to accommodate even more regional and short - haul international aircraft; However, the configuration was unable to accommodate the sheer size of long - haul airplanes such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A380 following their introduction in the 1990s. The old LaGuardia terminal is an excellent example of this design, note the four fingers;

LaGuardia International Airport: Meredith Corp

Satellite Configuration

The satellite configuration promised to be the best of both worlds, providing a dedicated headhouse for check - in and security while allowing planes to jet bridge dock at “satellite” terminal locations. Architects have become quite creative when designing headhouse satellite connections, the most common are sky bridges, underground tunnels, or even automated light rail systems. Terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle is a phenomenal example of a satellite configuration, where the satellites are connected to the headhouse through a system of tunnels;

Charles de Gaulle International Airport: AlterVista

External Logistics and Improvements

LaGuardia International Airport Terminal B: HOK

The main logistical problem with LaGuardia’s former Terminal B arose due to the archaic finger design. Panes were unable to park in headhouse connections, and were also inhibited from taking the shortest path towards the active runway, as they were forced to travel around the fingers. The red arrow represents the current taxi path, while the green arrow represents the optimal taxi path;

LaGuardia Taxi Inefficiency Diagram: Hugo Render

Through the use of a satellite sky bridge design, aircraft were not only granted the ability to congregate around all sectors of the terminal but also transit under said sky bridges to quickly and efficiently taxi to desired runways, greatly reducing congestion, and improving logistics, consult the diagram below;

LaGuardia Gate and Taxi Optimization: Hugo Render

Another glaring issue with the old infrastructure was the fingers creating an excessive amount of decision points. Decision points are self - explanatory, areas within the design which passengers must enter a point of no return, per se. With the headhouse - satellite configuration, decision points are reduced to a single point, so users can understand clearly when to proceed from the get - go, see diagrams below;

Old Terminal B Decision Points

Old decision points for LaGuardia’s Terminal B, denoted by red Xs

New Terminal B Decision Point

New Terminal B decision point, denoted by a single green X

Terminal Logistics and Improvements

Peter’s mantra behind redesigning the terminal was based on solving frustration provoked by long lines and compressed spaces. The goal of the project was to construct a more flowing and open area meant to facilitate self - navigation through visual cues.

Check - In Area

Most check - in locations in today’s airports are long and walled, offering customers no perception of where they’re headed. This shortcoming also inhibits the flow of people who don’t require physically checking in, leading to a clustered and delayed experience. Island counters not only allow for a more open and progressive design, but also ease the overall strain usually associated with entering airports, I’ve included a diagram below for reference, the yellow boxes represent check - in islands;

Security

Security in the previous terminal iteration was implemented at the base of finger - headhouse connections, which not only caused congestion but also put a great limitation on the amount of baggage scanning machines able to fit into the space. The new Terminal B security bisects the headhouse, facilitating a shift from 12 stalls to 22, making this single security location the sole design decision point.

The area also features a significantly higher ceiling for spatial illusion, and an expansive glass window facing the airfield. This not only opens up the space dramatically but also helps passengers get a much clearer idea of where they’re headed; Both concourses and most gates can be seen from this window. I’ve included a diagram below, outlining the security area in green;

Terminal B Security Selection: Hugo Render

Departure Area

In the previous Terminal, space was constricted to 60 feet in width and around 10 feet in height, as seen below, I feel the negatives here are self - explanatory, it literally looks depressing;

This space was enlarged to 120 feet in width, and around 60 to 80 feet in height, creating a much larger scale and promoting openness in the area; Passengers want to see as much as possible when transiting an airport. I encourage viewing the departure area renderings in the gallery below;

Terminal B Eastern Concourse

LaGuardia’s Terminal B Eastern Concourse renderings provided by HOK

Terminal B Eastern Concourse Alternate

Alternate renderings of LaGuardia’s Terminal B Eastern Concourse provided by HOK

Terminal B Eastern Concourse Commerce

Commerce in LaGuardia’s Terminal B Eastern Concourse as provided by HOK

Baggage Claim

The baggage claim is normally one of the most congested areas in an airport. Most modern carousels are designed around these enormous pillars, which inhibit the usable space of the belt. The solution here is simple; Create an island style concept similar to the check - in area. Carousels would be placed near no pillars to allow maximum congregation around the belts, and 60 feet apart to provide passengers without bags a fast, direct, and easy egress of the terminal. Consult the Terminal B Check - In Area diagram for a visual interpretation of this concept.

Hugo Render’s Involvement in Commercial Sector Redesigns

Beijing Daxing International Airport: Wikimedia

What HOK was able to accomplish with the LaGuardia Terminal B redesign was absolutely incredible, and truly attests to their prowess as one of the top architecture firms in the world. I encourage checking out their publication here, and Peter Ruggiero’s in - depth design explanation below, the inspiration for this article.

Rethinking commercial architectural design will be imperative with time, especially when factoring in the world’s rapid population growth. Designs will need to primarily focus on efficiency while promoting ergonomical spaces. Hugo Render is more than ready to breathe life into any illustrious concepts that may arise, no matter the scale and complexity of the project.

Our panoramic images and virtual reality capabilities will showcase said designs in a medium promoting excitement and elation, ensuring conception and reality align before any ground is broken. Terminal B’s redesign is an absolute feat of architecture and engineering, and we can’t wait to see which sector is next in line.

Missing Middle Housing Diagram by Opticos

Missing Middle Housing: Urban Density Meets Suburban Architecture

Adam Ballantyne October 22, 2020

I recently came across a book called Missing Middle Housing by Daniel Parolek, the founding principal of Opticos Design, an architecture firm we’ve had the privilege of working with in the past. I was very intrigued by the concept of these missing middle housing types and had to share. Let’s explore exactly what missing middle housing is, a few examples of these missing middle types, and the goal they are set out to accomplish.

What is Missing Middle Housing?

Missing Middle Housing in Practice: Opticos Design

With exponential population growth, urban high - rises and single - family homes have become the leading options for municipal dwelling. Single - family homes offer a sense of comfort and freedom, an escape from the downtown bustle, while high - rises place tenants right in the middle of the action, fostering true cities that never sleep.

Missing middle housing intends to close this drastic gap by creating multi - family units that fit contextually into suburban spaces, presenting some new and unique ways to organize edifices on singular sites. Missing middle housing sits on the sweet spot of the spectrum, presenting pristine locations and suburban styling at an affordable price point.

They are coined “missing” middle houses due to the plethora of regulations and zoning barriers in place that prevent these types from being built. Most existing middle housing units were constructed during the 1940s when laws were more favorable.

What are some Examples of Missing Middle Housing?

Missing Middle Housing Diagram: Opticos Design

This slideshow below shows a few types of these missing middle houses. I’d also like to note here that existing corner lots are prime real estate for these missing middle types, simply due to the increased space they offer. While viewing the slideshow, I encourage thinking about how these homes would fit in your surrounding neighborhood, per se.

Duplex

Duplex example by House Plans

Triplex

Triplex example by House Plans

Fourplex

Fourplex example by House Plans

Cottage Court

Cottage court example by ProBuilder

Townhome

Townhome example by House Plans

What is the Goal of Missing Middle Housing?

The primary motive behind the missing middle housing movement is to develop suburban areas into higher volume neighborhoods without drastically altering the architectural mantra of the area. Population growth is constant and increasing, and the housing construction market must match this growth to keep up with demand; However, skyscrapers and apartment buildings, while being the easy way out, aren’t necessarily the answer to this problem.

One of the most common ways to implement these missing middle housing types is through alteration of existing buildings into these new and somewhat creative architectural styles. In this video by The Tyee, we explore how a former car repair business, a church, and even a rustic single - family mansion have been transformed into affordable yet timeless multi - family housing solutions.

Missing middle housing types also enhance the sense of community in the area. Smaller yet denser shared dwelling spaces have been proven to promote and improve neighborly interactions; Single - family homes and urban high - rises tend to lean towards privacy and separation.

At the end of the day, I feel neighborhoods really aren’t against the construction of these multi - family properties; They’re really against incompatible projects that severely harm their property values, and that makes sense! People are more than open to creating a larger vibrant community, as long as it doesn’t transform their neighborhood into Gotham City.

Hugo Render’s Involvement in the Missing Middle Housing Sector

West Broad Village Townhomes: Hugo Render

If there’s one thing to take away from this publication, it’s the fact that prosperity and growth does not have to be displayed in the form of these landscape - altering developments. There needs to be a nationwide push to alter zoning away from single - family, with restrictions put in place, of course, to accommodate these missing middle housing types. Building and development firms also need to understand the importance of missing middle housing and consider investing in the sector.

Architects are extremely skilled professionals with the ability to design some daring and beautiful missing middle concepts, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with. It’s a chance to offer a renaissance, a renewal to overlooked urban neighborhoods.

Hugo Render has actively engaged in a few missing middle housing projects including various townhomes, and we’ll be more than ready to handle whatever comes next in the sector. Population growth will forever be constant; The design and construction of these missing middle types is a beneficial and cost - effective solution to all.

If you’re interested in learning more about missing middle housing, we encourage visiting https://missingmiddlehousing.com/.

The Rise and Fall of the Skyscraper

Adam Ballantyne September 29, 2020

“If you can’t build out, build up”

The Great Chicago Fire of 1871, while extremely detrimental to the municipality, offered a blank canvas on which architects and engineers could design revolutionary urban marketplaces, leading to the construction of the Home Insurance Building in 1885. This new class of edifice was deemed a “skyscraper”, a high - rise structure with literal capability of cutting through clouds.

Skyscrapers were seen as a means to offer consolidated office spaces with close connections to city centers, or prime residential real estate with premier access to downtown amenities. They promote heightened economic advancement due to increased population density.

Some countries saw the structures as a means to break records, while others viewed them as an obligation to progress urban development. No matter who you side with, they are a means to announce the prominence of a nation on the world stage and quickly became a monument of financial prosperity.

Despite these overwhelmingly positive effects, many cities around the world have begun to shy away from the gargantuan structures, some even outlawing them altogether. Join us, along with The B1M, as we seek to understand the rise and fall of the modern - day skyscraper.

London: The Jetstream Meets the Streets

Despite London not being planned out as a large city from the beginning, it has become a financial titan on the world stage. A short drive around the city provides all insight necessary regarding the outdated infrastructure of the area. Streets are extremely narrow and randomly laid out, unlike the more efficient grid designs we see on a daily basis.

During my trip to London a few years ago, we got stuck behind a delivery van unloading merchandise… For half an hour!

Growing the skyline was paramount to keep up with the demand for space in the most densely populated sector of the United Kingdom, leading to the planning of several skyscrapers. With that being said, London holds great value in its historical architecture and has enforced strict regulations on construction. Skyscrapers can in no way harm the city’s past, and can’t block sightlines to major historical landmarks.

So where did they go wrong?

Regulations failed to account for skyscraper density and modern architectural design mantras.

The sheer amount of skyscrapers concentrated in the financial district coupled with the sharper and more angular designs the industry has shifted towards created an artificial valley of sorts, directing cold and fast winds onto the streets below. Windspeeds have become so severe that pedestrians and cyclists alike have been knocked over while transiting the area. This has negatively affected the precinct, isolating the area, especially during the winter months, an oddity when compared with the bustling and vibrant life seen throughout the rest of the city year - round.

London has sprung into action, implementing “wind guidelines” into planning practices, but it may already be too late. Fred from The B1M has done an outstanding publication on the issue, and I encourage viewing below!

China: The Sky is no Longer the Limit

China’s international economical influence has grown exponentially in recent decades, creating a breeding ground for thousands of skyscraper developments. More skyscrapers have been built on Chinese soil in the last 30 years than in the United States of America during the entire 20th century.

Despite this boom, the nation has elected to place strict regulations on skyscraper construction for a multitude of reasons. Many feel the architectural mantra of new skyscraper projects isn’t very representative of Chinese culture. There have also been quite a few “plagiarized” developments receiving heavily negative international press. Skyscrapers also come with astronomical building costs, making them very uncertain investments. Factoring in that many real estate development companies are partially held by the state, big bailouts to these projects are frowned upon.

The chief reason for regulations? China sees skyscrapers as vanity developments, vessels meant to break records, rather than edifices that offer a clear benefit to the state.

New buildings over 500 m (1640 ft) are prohibited from construction. In reality, any building over 250 m (820 ft) in height is targeted, and nothing above this height will be built unless absolutely necessary. Even if they qualify, projects will be subject to heavy scrutiny by firefighting, energy - saving, and earthquake committees.

Once again, The B1M has done a stellar segment on the issue, have a look!

What Comes Next?

“Maybe we build outwards after all”

China’s mantra going forward is a focus on creating economical, sustainable, and beautiful cities, a focus on deriving a city plan from scratch and getting it right the first time, rather than molding existing infrastructure into something it clearly isn’t, and Hugo Render agrees! There needs to be an emphasis on inhabitants and practicality.

COVID 19 has shown us the viability of remote work in most cases, which I believe will lessen demand for central city offices, therefore, skyscrapers. Companies will begin to realize that productivity holds more value than location, and will divert budgets accordingly.

This does not call for the death of brick and mortar locations, but instead their reimagination, potentially through investments in satellite cities and standalone communities. We’re talking offices in locations that significantly lessen commute times, or even full - on company campuses, which we’ll explore in another piece in the near future.

Whether skyscrapers are here to stay is heavily debated, but regardless of how futuristic urban architectural development unfolds, Hugo Render is more than equipped for the challenge. Whether it’s conceiving a skyscraper that better integrates into existing cityscapes or reimagining how we construct an entirely new type of city, we are excited to help builders and developers visualize urban centers of the future.

Austin Architectural Developments

Adam Ballantyne August 13, 2020

Austin, Texas constantly tops the list of America’s fastest - growing cities each year. Its technological prowess spearheaded by 3M, Apple, and Dell offers an invigorating and competitive environment for emerging young professionals, while other corporations flock by the hundreds to grow the Silicon Valley of the Southeast. With this constant population influx, Austin’s infrastructure grows at a similar rate, leading to some exciting architectural developments all over the city.

Today on Hugo Render, let’s explore three of Austin’s most exciting architectural developments!

Apple Campus

Apple has recently announced that they will be bringing operations to Northwest Austin, with plans to open a brand new 10 building campus in Williamson County by the end of 2022. Construction costs are estimated at $1B and planned on 133 acres of land in Jollyville. Upon completion, the company will bring 5 000 new jobs to Austin, with that number slated to grow upwards of 15 000 within a few years.

Apple’s architectural mantra is centered around incorporating their space into the existing natural landscape, bringing a cutting edge technological environment into a picturesque and organic habitat. To enact this vision, Apple has pledged a 100% renewable energy footprint, and that 60% of their entire campus will be covered with landscaping.

They also plan to partner with local firm Bartlett Tree Experts to plant a 50 acre wildlife preserve featuring thousands of trees of over 20 varieties.

The renderings of the space are incredible, and we hope to see some interior renderings in the near future. We are also excited to see what arises at Robinson Ranch, a 7 000 acre underdeveloped plot nearby.

Austin FC Stadium

Austin’s explosive population growth has developed a very ripe market for outdoor recreation, and Precourt Sports Ventures has decided to relocate their team from Columbus to take advantage. This has facilitated the need for a brand new sports venue in McKalla Place, properly named the Austin FC Stadium.

The $250M Northern Austin site will host upwards of 20 500 spectators, with completion slated for the spring of 2021. It transforms an old industrial ground into a thriving community center, bringing Austinites together to celebrate the return of major league sports.

The space is a very open concept, welcoming environment, incorporating soccer, mixed space retail, and green areas under one roof. It’s a modern feel honing into Austin’s emerging technological prowess while retaining that Western styling Texas is known for as a whole. Check out some of these awesome renderings below!

Austin FC Stadium Terrace

Rendering of the Austin FC stadium terrace area

Austin FC West Club

Rendering of the Austin FC West Club space

Austin FC Supporter's Bar

Rendering of the Austin FC supporter’s bar

Austin FC Field Club

Rendering of the Austin FC Field Club

Waterloo Park

Let’s move onto a development located directly in downtown Austin, a reimagined urbanized greenspace dubbed the Waterloo Park. Located in the bustling Red River cultural district, the space is set to open to the public by the end of 2021.

The park is meant to be an immersion of nature in the epicenter of the lively metro Austin area, showcasing the diverse flora of the central Texan landscape. Waterloo is meant to be a congregational space, littered with lawns and trails throughout the entire 1.5 mile greenway.

The highlight of the development is undoubtedly the Moody Amphitheater, a new home for cultural events and concerts alike. When the venue isn’t occupied, it will be repurposed as a publicly accessible park space, an escape from the corporate environment into natural serenity. Its crossbeam steel canopy roof will easily cement the amphitheater’s role as one of Austin’s premier architectural features, check it out below!

Moody Amphitheater Concert

Rendering of a concert taking place at the Moody Amphitheater

Moody Amphitheater Concert Aerial

Rendering of an aerial view of a concert at the Moody Amphitheater

Moody Amphitheater Greenery

Austinites enjoying the greenery at the Moody Amphitheater during downtime

Despite the national pandemic, all of these venues seem to be on track for their opening dates, and we can’t wait to see them all in person! We are thrilled to see supplementing projects emerge in Austin as a result of these spaces, and can’t wait to work with these firms to visualize the future of the city!