Portland International Airport, Main Terminal Expansion

Portland International Airport’s new main terminal elevates the passenger experience while setting a benchmark for sustainable aviation infrastructure.  
 
Designed to evoke the feeling of a walk in the forest, the ZGF Architects–designed terminal features the first expansive mass timber roof of any major U.S. airport. Over 3.7 million board feet of wood were sourced within 300 miles, with more than one million traceable to their forests of origin—including tribal and community lands—supporting equitable supply chains and sustainable forestry. 

The project achieved a 66 percent reduction in structural embodied carbon and a 53 percent reduction in operational energy through an efficient enclosure, open-loop ground-source heat pumps, and electrified systems. Water use per passenger is cut in half through low-flow fixtures and non-potable sources, while daylighting and biophilic design—including more than 50 full-size trees and 5,000 understory plants—enhance comfort and reduce stress. 

With its new design doubling processing capacity, PDX demonstrates how large-scale infrastructure can be sustainable, equitable, and distinctly of its place.