San Francisco International Airport (SFO) completed the full reconstruction of Harvey Milk Terminal 1 in July 2025, a $1.53 billion project that began in July 2016 and was delivered on budget and on schedule, Engineering News-Record recently reported. The roughly 900,000-sq-ft project was carried out under progressive design-build while the airport kept operating 24 hours a day, which required overnight phases and meticulous sequencing of mechanical, electrical and plumbing work.
Highlights for the façade and envelope industry include the use of dynamic glazing to reduce solar heat gain, combined with radiant heating and cooling, displacement ventilation and LED lighting with daylight harvesting. The result is a building that uses about 60% less energy than comparable facilities, supported by a 1.5 MW rooftop photovoltaic system that covers roughly 19% of total consumption. The terminal became the first in the world to achieve both LEED v4 Platinum and Fitwel certification.
The team, led by general contractor Hensel Phelps with architects Gensler and Kuth Ranieri and structural engineer Magnusson Klemencic Associates, also solved complex technical challenges, such as jacking a pedestrian bridge up 5 ft instead of demolishing it, and removing hazardous materials under strict OSHA protocols. The project cut embodied carbon by more than 25% and diverted more than 90% of construction waste from landfills.
Source: Engineering News-Record (ENR)