Mass timber design for Kelowna International Airport expansion (RENDERINGS)

Artistic rendering of the Kelowna International Airport (YLW) terminal building expansion. (Office of Mcfarlane Biggar Architects & Designers/City of Kelowna)

A sizeable expansion of the terminal building of Kelowna International Airport (YLW) will be a showpiece of green building design through its use of mass timber construction.

The project will grow the terminal building’s floor area by 86,000 sq ft, with construction now slated to begin in 2023, with the first phase opening in 2026.

The first phase entails an expanded departures lounge to improve connections to gates and increase food and beverage options, an expanded security screening area, and new direct access to south gates.

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The second phase includes an expanded terminal building for relocated domestic arrivals area with new baggage carousels, repurposed existing arrivals area to accommodate a larger area for international arrivals and border control and a further expansion of the departures lounge.

kelowna international airport terminal building expansion mass timber

Artistic rendering of the Kelowna International Airport (YLW) terminal building expansion. (Office of Mcfarlane Biggar Architects & Designers/City of Kelowna)

The use of prefabricated mass timber panels for the expansion also serves to reduce construction time and results in less construction vehicle traffic. The provincial government is providing YLW with $500,000 for the mass timber design.

The expansion is designed by the Office of Mcfarlane Biggar Architects & Designers, which also designed recent new airport terminal buildings in Nanaimo, Victoria, and Fort McMurray, the SkyTrain station upgrades for Joyce-Collingwood Station and Surrey Central Station, and the new Capstan Station currently under construction.

“We would like the thank the Province for investing in YLW and in the use of mass timber for our terminal building expansion,” said Sam Samaddar, the airport director of YLW, in a statement.

“With the increases in both aircraft movement and passenger traffic, this terminal expansion enables the Kelowna International Airport to continue offering the highest level of service.”

Artistic rendering of the Kelowna International Airport (YLW) terminal building expansion. (Office of Mcfarlane Biggar Architects & Designers/City of Kelowna)

The terminal building expansion is just one component of YLW’s 10-year renewal project ending in 2029, with a total estimated cost of $240 million. The expansion is funded through airport revenues and Airport Improvement Fees.

Other components entail airside upgrades, a new biosecurity testing facility, and road access upgrades. In 2020, the major component of a new 600-stall vehicle parking lot reached completion.

YLW is Canada’s 10th busiest airport based on passenger volumes. In 2019, it saw two million passengers — just behind Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on Toronto Islands, next to downtown Toronto, which recorded 2.7 million passengers.

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