San Francisco International Airport’s (SFO) Harvey Milk Terminal 1 replaces an aging facility with a terminal designed around operational resilience, environmental performance and an inclusive passenger experience. The project required full demolition and reconstruction while airline, TSA, baggage and passenger operations continued around it. Multiple phased turnovers kept the airport functioning throughout nearly a decade of work.
Progressive Design-Build (PDB) was essential to managing that complexity. When the project evolved from a renovation into a full replacement, early collaboration allowed SFO and the design-build team to redefine the scope, develop a workable phasing strategy and maintain budget alignment through open-book cost development.
One Team Across Interconnected Projects
The team also coordinated closely with the separately contracted Boarding Area B project. A shared Big Room brought both design-build teams together with SFO to align systems, resolve field conflicts and jointly procure several major building components. More than 90 formal partnering sessions sustained the project’s “One Team, One Project” culture. That collaboration is estimated to have avoided approximately $38 million in potential costs.
The same structure supported recovery from unforeseen conditions. Hazardous materials threatened approximately 40 workdays, but Lean planning and coordinated resequencing regained the lost time without affecting the final schedule. The terminal opened on time and below its Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP).
Harvey Milk Terminal 1 is the world’s first airport terminal to achieve both LEED v4 Platinum and Fitwel certification. It reduced embodied carbon by more than 25% and diverted more than 90% of construction waste from landfills. The project also exceeded SFO’s Local Business Enterprise participation goals, directing more than $186 million to certified local firms.
As the world’s first airport terminal named for an openly LGBTQ+ leader, the facility also advances inclusion in public infrastructure. It includes the nation’s first all-gender airport restroom, a sensory room for neurodivergent travelers and a permanent exhibit honoring Harvey Milk’s life and legacy.
Design-Build Team
| Client/Owner: | San Francisco International Airport |
| Owner Advisor: | ACJV, a joint venture of AECOM and Consor PMCM, Inc. |
| Design-Builder: | Hensel Phelps Construction Co. |
| General Contractor: | Hensel Phelps Construction Co. |
| Architects: | Gensler; Kuth Ranieri Architects |
| Engineers: | Critchfield Mechanical; Redwood Electric Group; BEUMER Corporation |
| Specialty Contractors: | Rosendin Electric; Transbay Fire Protection; MKA; Meyers+ Engineers; MEI |
| Project Cost: | $1,530,000,000 |
| Construction Duration: | 109 months |
Photos
Photo Credits: Jason O’Rear