San Diego International Airport Administration Building
Features & Highlights
- Four-story, 130,000-square-foot building to house the Airport Authority’s relocated administrative offices.
- Project also includes the Authority’s new high-tech board room.
- Construction of and ORAT services for the Authority’s new Airport Operations and the Emergency Operations Centers.
Project Overview
Work on the new Administration Building for San Diego International Airport (SDIA) began in late 2021 with the demolition of existing structures and the relocation of utilities. The project scope includes construction of a new four-story, 130,000-square-foot building and relocation of the Airport Authority administrative offices, Authority board room, the Airport Operations Center, and the Emergency Operations Center.
The Sundt design-build team discovered that to properly power the completed Administration building, SDIA needed to upgrade and expand their existing 12 KV loop. Sundt worked closely with the airport to procure electrical feeders prior to the completion of the design, saving months on the construction schedule. The team worked nights over several months to help install the upgraded 12 KV electrical loop, allowing for expanded electrical demand for both the new facility and additional airport needs.
The SDIA Airport Operations and Emergency Operations Centers will be housed in the new Administration Building, which will require a seamless transition when the project is done. Technology was at the forefront of weekly preconstruction systems planning and coordination meetings; the team considered how the building may be upgraded to adapt to technological advances in the future as well as identify systems that require unique integration and long lead procurement.
The project team is working with the SDIA Airport Authority to mitigate operational safety challenges, as half of the jobsite is outlined by a secured airfield fence with aircraft parked less than 100 feet away. The elimination of Foreign-Object-Debris (FOD) is a daily focus to ensure all materials on the jobsite are secure to prevent interference or damage to aircraft. Active roadways line the other two sides of the jobsite; the project team is focused on always maintaining safe vehicular and pedestrian access by providing clear signage, delineation, and barricades between the construction team and the traveling public.
Several pieces of artwork will be relocated from Terminal One to the Administration Building. To ensure the successful relocation of the art, Sundt is collaborating with SDIA and their artists to move three pieces of art. One will be placed vertically in the central stairwell, another outside of the board room on the first level, and the third will be placed adjacent to the exterior walkway as you approach the building.
This is Sundt’s fourth project at SDIA in the last 14 years. Previous projects for SDIA include the Airport Support Facilities, the Rental Car Center, and the Terminal 2 Landside Expansion.