LEED Gold certification for LaGuardia’s Terminal B

LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B has been awarded LEED v4 Gold certification for the completed phases of the new terminal, which encompasses the Arrivals & Departures Hall, Eastern Concourse, Eastern Pedestrian Bridge and the Central Heating and Refrigeration Plant.

Operator, LaGuardia Gateway Partners (LGP), notes that it makes LaGuardia Terminal B the first airport project in the world to achieve the stringent LEED v4 Gold certification for building design and construction.

The project includes a mix of sustainable strategies which met specific benchmarks provided for energy efficiency, water conservation, site selection, material selection, and waste reduction.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), as developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), is the most widely used green building rating system in the world and has become an international symbol of excellence for projects that achieve a LEED certification.

LaGuardia Gateway Partners along with partners, Vantage Airport Group, Meridiam, Skanska, Walsh Group, HOK and WSP, kept sustainability top of mind in both the design of the terminal and during construction.

Following the demolition of the old parking garage, 99% of debris was recycled into materials for new construction.

To reduce summer cooling loads and greenhouse gas emissions, Terminal B’s roof was covered with a light-coloured aluminium membrane that reflects solar heat more effectively than conventional materials.

LGP notes that with a technology-based Building Management System, it is able to optimise the performance of heating and cooling by supplying the right amount of fresh air when and where it’s needed.

Additionally, the baggage handling system moves only when bags are present on the system and goes into ‘sleep mode’ when not in use, saving at least 37% of energy compared to airports using older technology.

Stewart Steeves, CEO, LaGuardia Gateway Partners, said: “LaGuardia Gateway Partners prioritised sustainability throughout the redevelopment project by building Terminal B to be as energy-efficient as possible. As the long-term operators of Terminal B, we continue to look for ways to reduce our carbon footprint – most recently by transitioning away from single-use plastic straws.

“I’m thrilled that we’ve been recognised by the U.S. Green Buildings Council with LEED v4 Gold designation for the project. We’re grateful for our partners at the Port Authority, Vantage Airport Group, Meridiam, and Skanska for their leadership in making this possible.”

While Rick Cotton, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, stated: “Achieving LEED v4 Gold status at Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport under the stringent version 4 requirements underscores our commitment to live up to ever higher sustainability targets as we completely transform LaGuardia from the ground up.

“We committed in 2018 to meet the Paris climate accord standards and we will continue to upgrade our sustainability targets to be consistent with President Biden’s recent enhanced climate goals.”

In addition to earning the LEED v4 Gold designation, the Terminal B redevelopment project was also awarded the first Envision Platinum Award for commitment to sustainable practices and resiliency from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) in 2019.