There are a few notable airports around the world who have incoorperated responsible sustainable or green measures in the building or remodeling of their airports.  Beijing installed skylights to reduce need for electricity and faces the southeast to let in the heat of the early morning sun.  Boston has 20 wind turbines that crank out 100,000 kilowatt hours per year meeting 2 percent of electricity needs.  It is the first LEED Certified airport terminal featuring a heat reflecting roof, waterless urinals and storm water filtration.  Toronto is home to 29 Raptors that scare away intruding flocks of birds the natural way.  They have hybrid handling vehicles and an on site composting program.  Vancouver uses 2 Border Collies with Managing officers to scour the 3200 acre grounds for unwanted critters and uses a solar powered heating system.

Visual elements are not spared in the process of incorporating consideration of the environment in most of these designs.  Madrid's airport, below, is a fine example of this.  As greenarki notes, Architects, Richard Rogers Partnership with Estudio Lamela took pains to make Madrid's new airports passenger and baggage terminals as environmentally friendly as possible, orienting them in a north-south direction and using passive design features to reduce the need for energy intensive heating and cooling as much as possible.  Note the dramatic use of eco friendly bamboo in the ceiling design.

We are proud to report that our hometown airport in Santa Barbara, CA is working on a remodel that will incorporate the general goals of LEED and will become one of the greenest airport designs in the US.

 SBA Eco Friendly concepts will include:

*Water efficient landscaping

*Innovative waste water technologies

*Water conserving fixtures that maximize water efficiency within the buildings

*Alternative transportation such as an additional bus line, secure bicycle racks, and preferred parking   for carpools, vanpools and a percentage of fuel efficient vehicles

*Energy efficient buildings

*A high ratio of open space to the development footprint to promote Biodiversity

*Photovoltaic systems and other strategies to increase levels of on-site renewable energy

*Building products that incorporate recycled content materials

*Wood based materials that are certified as coming from sustainably-managed forests

*Introduction of daylight and views through a combination of skylights and high windows

*Ventilation systems that enhance air quality performance

Possibly the most environmentally conscious airport in the world will be featured at Zurich.  Enroute profiles the plan to use geothermal energy, solar cells, utilizing rainwater for toilet flushing and an on-site compressed natural gas station..  Even more, awaiting passengers will be able to observe the airports adjoining "safe habitat for over 50 species of flora and fauna".  Imagine bike paths, bunnies and beaver colonies.  One kilometer swath of land nestled in between the two main runways.

Architects are Riken Yamamoto and Field Shop and work is slated to begin in 2012 and be completed by 2016.

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