San Francisco International Airport, Terminal 2, 15th Gate Renovation

As part of the design-build team with Turner, Woods Bagot, and AE3, AE3 served as the Lead Architect for the renovation of the 15th Gate at San Francisco International Airport’s Terminal 2.

On the landside, the project involved the reconfiguration of two adjacent passenger hold rooms and the concourse retail atrium. These changes allowed for additional seating to accommodate more passengers, an expanded gate access corridor system, and the integration of new signage, gate furnishings, and seating. Additionally, the project incorporated deluge sprinklers at select existing glazing for enhanced safety.

On the airside, the scope included the installation of two new fixed walkways for passenger boarding bridges, one new boarding bridge, and one new fuel pit. The apron concrete was expanded to support a new aircraft parking position, while the parking positions for five adjacent gates were adjusted to make room for the new gate. The project also required additional lighting to support the new aircraft parking position.

AE3 provided comprehensive design services, including programming, schematic design through construction documentation, and construction administration. A key challenge was the tight 8-month schedule from programming to completion while ensuring the gates remained operational throughout the construction phase until the new gate was fully operational. The project required coordination across multiple stakeholders impacted by the gate addition and reconfigurations, all within a relatively tight budget. Additionally, the scope had to accommodate various aircraft types due to the merger between Virgin and Alaska Airlines, adding further complexity to the design.

Location: San Francisco, CA‍
‍Role: Lead Architect (50/50 JV)

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