Flexible airport design

Airport environments must be adaptable to change. Their ability to do so is dependent on embedding flexibility at four key stages of development or refurbishment: master planning, building design, space planning and components. This paper investigates and offers solutions for optimising airport design. Master planning is where it all begins, providing the first opportunity to build in flexibility. Critical to an airport's ability to sustain operational efficiency, withstand predictable changes and mitigate the effects of the unforeseen, it warrants careful consideration and investment. The paper highlights Dublin Airport as an example of how it is done. When addressing the building's form, functionality, efficiency, sustainability and adaptability are critical to the design. The airport must meet the operator's objectives, and only by taking a holistic view can space be optimised and barriers to growth avoided. Process and space must come together seamlessly. The selection of components must give due consideration to standardisation, delivery, installation and cost. It must also explore, based on construction sequence and maintenance, their interdependence or independence, allowing for demounting and repair. In the design process itself, there is room for flexibility. This paper outlines those cases where detailed upfront design can make way for a more flexible, beneficial approach, which ultimately ensures the building is fit for purpose on the day it opens.