Atlanta Airport Terminal Earns LEED Silver

ATLANTA — The new Maynard H. Jackson International Terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is now shining brightly with LEED Silver.

The airport incorporates eight security checkpoints, 12 new gates, new access roadways and separate arrival and departure gates. The 1.2 million-square-foot facility has lighting from Acuity Brands in almost every application, using a mixture of products from the company’s portfolio.

“The main challenge revolved around the requirements of designing the first LEED Silver certified building at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and executing this with lighting strategies and technology that were energy efficient, cost effective and easy to maintain,” said Domingo Gonzalez, president of Domingo Gonzalez associates and head lighting designer on the project in a statement. “We looked for lighting solutions that would comprehensively address this massively complex family of spaces, and do so with a degree of consistency and commonality of light sources.”

Aside from using lighting control systems throughout the terminals to reduce light levels in order to save energy, the $1.4 billion project also features a 25,000-cubic-foot water box. This collects rainwater from the roof of the concourse and international terminal and cleanses it before releasing it back in to the environment.

Another aspect of achieving LEED Silver was the focus on the quality of indoor air. Low-chemical-emitting paints, sealants, carpeting and adhesives were used throughout the facility in order to assure a green structure.

Contractors were required to use recycled and/or regionally produced construction materials as well as sustainable-certified wood products on top of construction waste management programs diverting up to 75 percent for disposal.

For water conservation, low-flow restroom fixtures along with highly efficient heating and cooling systems will cut water usage, making a savings of up to 40,000 gallons annually.