When the Lincoln Airport Authority (LAA) decided to undergo an expansion/renovation of the terminal building, they turned to Davis Design, architect of the original 1977 airport and partner of several other design projects to date. Davis Design teamed with Alliiance, an architectural firm from Minneapolis that specializes in airport terminal design. Alliiance provided overall design planning and interior design, while Davis Design acted as Architect of Record for the exterior shell and provided construction documents, and all Structural, Mechanical, and Electrical Engineering.
The renovation became a priority for LAA due to passenger congestion and dual TSA checkpoints. The previous design, with two separate checkpoints on opposite ends of the terminal, was hastily implemented after 9/11 and barely fit on the upper-level concourse. The new design was developed to allow all passengers to be routed through a single larger and expandable checkpoint. In addition, it also allowed flier amenities for food and beverage service to be relocated post-security.
The design also expanded the number of working gates from 2 to 6. This required expanding the terminal to the east and further to the north to include new passenger hold areas for the additional gates. A new bar and convenience store are located between the two hold areas for passenger services. The renovation included full replacement of the Airport staff offices and a new meeting room for the LAA Board public meetings.
After reviewing the original structural drawings, the design team determined that the new larger TSA scanning equipment for the checkpoints would exceed the load capacity of the original building. Therefore, structural fortification was designed into the renovation. LAA also had a desire to provide service to a larger range of aircraft, requiring lower connections to two of the passenger boarding bridges. Our team designed special structural framing that accommodated interior ramps, allowing for the connection point to be lower than the rest of the floor.
Mechanically, the existing equipment was determined adequate for the renovated space. New boilers and chillers were installed to provide hot water and chilled water to new air handling equipment, which provided temperature control for the passenger hold and gate additions. The electrical system was upgraded and modified approximately 20 years ago, which established two primary branches, each fully backed up by a 500 kVA generator. The resulting split distribution system created several challenges during the phasing plan– maintaining gates on the south side of the terminal while the additions on the north were constructed.
All the existing lighting on the ground and second levels was replaced with new modern lighting. The design incorporated dimmable and controlled LED lighting fixtures to accentuate the high-sloped ceilings, natural lighting through clerestory structures, and the vast windows in the gate hold areas. Davis Design also provided the design requirements for a new fire alarm system and support for all the passenger notification boards, security systems, and technology needs.