Kuwait's solar system LEEDs the way...

Work on Kuwait's new international airport is under way. Once complete, it is believed the facility will set a new environmental benchmark in aviation, becoming one of the largest airport users of solar power in the world. Keith Mwanalushi reports.

 

The true nature of airport sustainability has been analysed from various perspectives, especially considering the ever-evolving suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance buildings.  

Foster + Partners is now firmly renowned for its jaw-dropping architectural and airport design projects around the world and the firm has certainly carved out a niche with the design of the new Kuwait International Airport (KIA).

Plans for KIA include the ability to harvest solar energy at levels not seen before on this scale.

Kuwait is one of the hottest places on earth and the airport is strategically located in the middle of the desert some 16km from Kuwait City.The central challenge has been creating a comfortable environment for passengers in Kuwait’s intense heat while limiting energy requirements,” observed Nikolai Malsch, partner, Foster + Partners.

“Part of this involved using indirect daylight to create an uplifting space, without increasing the temperature with direct sunlight. The roof canopy, therefore, incorporates light wells and slim perforations based on the traditional architecture of Islam, which create a dynamic play of light and shade without creating additional heat.”

Key to the environmental ambitions driving the project is the leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) rating system developed by the US Green Building Council. LEED is a voluntary certification that provides independent, third-party verification that a building, home or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at achieving high performance in key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

The Kuwait project targets LEED ‘gold’ status – it aims to be the first passenger terminal in the world to attain this level of environmental accreditation. The concrete structure provides thermal mass and the roof incorporates a large expanse of photovoltaic panels to harvest solar energy. The basic idea is to use the intense desert sun to generate sufficient energy despite the airport’s remote location.

Malsch explained that the design targets LEED ‘gold’ through a combination of active and passive means, exploiting the thermal properties of the concrete structure and integrating a large expanse of roof-mounted photovoltaic panels to harvest solar energy.

“The principal benefits of a sustainable approach are environmental, but there will also be an impact on operating costs. LEED guidelines are a useful tool and our client has a progressive approach to sustainable design, so together we are proud to be able to aim for such a high standard,” said Malsch.

The aim behind the master plan is for KIA to significantly increase capacity in order to establish a new regional air hub in the Gulf. Despite being a small country and possibly overshadowed by the larger regional hubs, traffic in and out of Kuwait is on the rise.

The new facility will be built to the south of the current terminal complex with new access routes from the Seventh Ring Road to the south of the airport compound.

This rise in passenger throughput is evident. As of April 2012 Etihad increased frequency to Kuwait from 21 to 25 flights per week.

In 2011, the Abu Dhabi-based carrier transported 180,000 passengers to and from Kuwait, an increase of 22% on the previous year.

At the same time Emirates is vying for higher yield premium traffic out of Kuwait with a recent increase to five daily flights, including the deployment of a tri-class 777-300ER.

“The terminal we have designed is strategically located to anticipate and enable future expansion – the airport will initially accommodate 13 million passengers per year, with the flexibility to increase to 25 million passengers and to accommodate 50 million passengers with further development,” explained Malsch.

Some 120 check-in desks are expected to cater for the 13 million passengers during the first phase and the baggage handling system will be able to tackle a peak of 2,930 bags per hour. During the 25 million second phase, 180 check-in desks are expected to process 5,390 bags per hour into the baggage handling system. An integrated baggage system will incorporate screening, dynamic storage and sorting, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in Kuwait.

Malsch said the layout of the apron is generated by forecast and is similarly adaptable: “With 35 flexible contact stands in its first phase, the arrangement can allow an increase of up to 74 contact stands for 50 million annual passengers. The first phase went to tender in spring this year and we are aiming to start on site in 2013.”

The master plan shows that the terminal building has a trefoil plan, comprising three symmetrical wings of departure gates. Each facade spans 1.2km and all extend from a dramatic 25m-high central space. To further aid orientation, the building is planned under a single roof canopy, punctuated by glazed openings that filter daylight, while deflecting direct solar radiation.

The canopy extends to shade a generous entrance plaza and is supported by tapering concrete columns – their fluid, organic forms draw inspiration from the contrast between the solidity of the stone and the shape and movement of Kuwait’s traditional symbolisms.

“Our research into vernacular Kuwaiti architecture provided a rich source of inspiration for the terminal’s design,” said Malsch. “This meant examining the density of housing clusters in traditional cities; passive shading and ventilation principles; the use of loggias and shaded colonnades; the application of local materials and techniques; and the dimension and orientation of apertures in the thick walls, which allow daylight to penetrate interior spaces while ensuring a comfortable climate.”

He further indicated that sand and dust were clearly an issue on site, “so we chose a durable, concrete structure to reduce energy-intensive maintenance demands”.

The project also includes development of the landside area. Renderings depict the landscaping as a lush oasis, with strands of drier planting and species native to the desert climate extending further away from the terminal. This leads to a series of submerged parking structures with green roofs.

“As you approach the building the landscaping becomes more lush and green. Passengers will enter the terminal via this generous, cool ‘oasis’ and drop-off area, shaded by the deep overhang of the roof,” Malsch explained.

Spanish engineering firm Ineco won a contract to carry out the technical project management and managing the expansion of the airport under a €26.5 million deal. The contract includes the complete redevelopment of the airport.

Ineco will be responsible for managing various stages of the project including construction, costing, deadlines, risks, quality management, communications and documentation procedures. In order to achieve this the company has a multidisciplinary team of 25 technical experts, who will be involved in different specialist areas throughout the course of the initially-planned five-year period.

The project will see the development of other areas outside the terminal building, including the construction of a car park, an administration building, rescue and fire housing, freight and maintenance facilities and an airside hotel.  In addition, Ineco will also oversee the construction of a new runway and the extension of the two existing ones.

The need to upgrade KIA’s airport infrastructure became ever more evident when unionists and MPs in Kuwait called for aviation authorities to investigate an incident involving a Lufthansa flight to the Gulf state in February 2012.

According to local media reports a Kuwait-bound flight from Frankfurt was diverted to Al-Dammam Airport in Saudi Arabia after reported problems with KIA’s airport navigation systems, triggered by a sandstorm. Reports from the DGCA said a total of six flights were cancelled during the disruption and a further ten were rescheduled. Questions have now been raised as to why no back-up system was in place.

Despite these reported shortfalls, KIA has seen some infrastructure upgrades. Back in 1999-2001 the airport underwent a considerable expansion project. Inaugurated in 2002 the first phase of a KD 18 million (US$60 million) 32,000sqm extension of the passenger terminal was made that included a spacious new commercial centre adjacent to the arrivals hall, as well as extensive car parking facilities.

The second phase opened in mid-2003 and included the expansion of the departure hall with 64 new fully-automated check-in positions, a new baggage handling system and a raft of new concessions and facilities including, for the first time, a children’s zone.

Kuwait International Airport has faced significant challenges in the past and will perhaps be forever haunted by the ghost of a British Airways 747 that was burnt to the ground in August 1990 at the start of the Gulf War.

However, these days the key issues revolve around growth, sustainability and the efficiencies derived from new airport technologies that will allow KIA to be a viable contender as regional hub competition intensifies.