Built in the late 1960s, the North Main Terminal at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport could no longer accommodate modern passenger volumes, security requirements or service expectations. The Alaska Airlines North Main Terminal Redevelopment Project reconfigured and expanded check-in, automated bag drop, Security Screening Checkpoint 5 and the Promenade while upgrading life safety and building systems, all within an active terminal.
This was Alaska Airlines’ first design-build project. The Owner used a two-step Progressive Design-Build (PDB) procurement process that heavily weighted qualifications and other non-price factors, considered pricing only after technical alignment and provided honoraria to unsuccessful finalists. That approach established the collaborative environment jurors identified as central to the project’s success.
Collaboration Drives Flexibility and Savings
Co-location and frequent working sessions brought Alaska Airlines, the designer, builder, trade partners and operational stakeholders into decisions as the design evolved. The team tracked risk within the overall project forecast, allowing it to respond to changing Owner and TSA requirements without destabilizing the broader program.
When those requirements prompted a redesign of the ticketing hall, a focused two-day working session produced a solution incorporating automated bag-drop technology and improved passenger flow. The team also replaced mineral-wool insulation with high-performance spray foam and simplified the supporting structure, improving ceiling clearance, reducing coordination risk and saving approximately $1 million.
The project finished approximately two months ahead of its contracted completion date and nearly $7 million below its Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP). Sustainability measures support the project’s pursuit of LEED certification, while 11 art vitrines integrated into the terminal architecture create new opportunities for travelers to experience regional art.
For a first-time design-build Owner, the project demonstrated how PDB can provide the flexibility to respond to evolving requirements while maintaining airport operations, controlling cost and protecting the schedule.
Design-Build Team
| Client/Owner: | Alaska Airlines |
| Design-Builder: | Hensel Phelps Construction Co. |
| General Contractor: | Hensel Phelps Construction Co. |
| Architects: | HOK; ECH Architecture PS |
| Engineers: | Magnusson Klemencic Associates; Lund Opsahl LLC |
| Specialty Contractors: | Transbay; Hermanson; Mazzetti; VECA; Casne |
| Project Cost: | $430,000,000 |
| Construction Duration: | 46 Months |
Photos
Photo Credits: Port of Seattle; Ed Sozinho (Sozinho Imagery); Hensel Phelps; Alan Karchmer.