SALT LAKE CITY, UT — One year ago today, Salt Lake City International Airport opened the New SLC-Phase 1 as the first new U.S. hub airport built in the 21st century. The new HOK-designed airport provides a flexible, right-sized facility for a more efficient, sustainable future while maintaining competitive costs. Additional goals included building an airport that could withstand a major seismic event and reflect the beauty of Utah — both inside and out.

The U.S. Green Building Council recently announced that the new airport has achieved its goal of LEED Gold certification for both the Terminal Redevelopment Program project and Concourse B-West.

“As two of the largest LEED v2009 Gold-certified airport terminal projects in the United States, the airport team faced the unique challenge of building on a large scale while staying on task and prioritizing health and sustainability,” said Lisa Stanley, Director of Technical Services at USGBC. “I know just how daunting this task was and how much pre-planning was required to bring this project to where it is today, and congratulate all those involved.”

The airport achieved this certification through efforts involving emission reduction, waste minimization, water conservation, and renewable energy implementation. Practicing sustainability began the first day of construction. Prior to the airport opening, 95 percent of construction waste was diverted from landfills and incinerators. Before opening day, the airlines began to transition from diesel to electric ground support equipment. The layout of the new airport also plays a substantial role in its sustainability. The linear concourse configuration reduces aircraft idling and taxi times.

“The airport recognizes the importance of reducing carbon emissions to mitigate our impact on global climate change,” said Bill Wyatt, Executive Director, Salt Lake City Department of Airports. “The former airport — which was a beloved part of our community — was inefficient when it came to sustainability efforts. Everything from the boiler system to the plumbing and electrical systems were beyond repair. What is really impressive is that the new airport uses less water and less electricity than the former facility.”

“This isn’t a surprise because our teams have been working intentionally for about a decade on making sure we could be standing here today celebrating this,” said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall at the recent press conference. “Achieving this, though, isn’t a small feat. This facility is the largest LEED Gold certified airport terminal in the western United States, as measured by square footage.”