Project Profiles: Offices and Warehouses

Boston Logan International Airport Hangar

Because daylighting provides light for maintenance operations and reduces energy costs, the design included alternating opal and clear panels and a series of unique sloped doors with 3-story-tall polycarbonate corners.

Retrofit Team

Architect: Fennick McCredie Architecture Ltd., Boston
Engineer: WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff, Montreal
General Contractor: Gilbane Building Co., Providence, R.I.
Glazing Design: Extech/Exterior Technologies Inc., Pittsburgh
Glazing Installer: Lymo Construction Co. Inc., Merrimack, N.H.

Materials

Fennick McCredie Architecture developed a unique design for the hangars’ retrofit. Because daylighting provides light for maintenance operations and reduces energy costs, the design included alternating opal and clear panels and a series of unique sloped doors with 3-story-tall polycarbonate corners.

Many daylighting facades were considered but were passed over in favor of the LightWall system. LightWall was selected because its non-yellowing and translucent panels provide optimal light allowance, the glazing material delivers efficient operation of the sliding doors, and the fabricator was able to meet the challenge of the compressed project timeline. Innovation in design also led to the selection of the LightWall system for the hangar retrofit.

One issue encountered was the hangar facades needed to be strong and durable, yet lightweight and flexible so the doors could be easily opened and closed. During the design process, the fabricator developed special reinforced clips that allowed the panels to handle test loads in excess of 100 pounds per square foot. This provided the durability and flexibility the hangars required. the system can withstand wake turbulence from engine startup while maintaining a lightness that enables a cost-saving reduction in the strength of the operating hardware.

Glazing Fabricator: Extech

LightWall was selected because its non-yellowing and translucent panels provide optimal light allowance, the glazing material delivers efficient operation of the sliding doors, and the fabricator was able to meet the challenge of the compressed project timeline.

The Retrofit

The Massachusetts Port authority needed to renovate two maintenance hangars at the airport. Constructed with metal panel walls and steel-sash glass windows, the new England winters and harsh aviation environment had taken a brutal toll on the buildings. The project called for materials that could withstand the location while delivering good thermal performance, optimal insulating value and long-term savings on energy costs. The project also demanded a speedy installation so flight schedules were impacted as little as possible.

Today, the renovated hangars at Boston Logan International Airport stand strong (having endured one of new England’s toughest winters in recent memory) while delivering the natural light, energy savings and impact resistance required for the project.

PHOTOS: William Horne