The Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI) has recognized three SOM projects as part of its Professional Project Award program, which acknowledges and showcases outstanding achievements in design and construction within the architectural engineering field. Terminal 2 at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport was recognized with two separate awards: an Award of Excellence in the Architectural Engineering Integration category and an Award of Merit in the Structural Systems Design category. Also, China Merchants Tower & Woods Park won two awards: Most Innovative Project and an Award of Excellence in the Mechanical Systems Design category. Additionally, the San Bernardino Justice Center was recognized with an Award of Merit in the Structural Systems Design category. Winners were announced at the AEI Awards Banquet, held at the 2015 AEI Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
The recently completed Terminal 2 at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport adds 4.4 million square feet of new space to accommodate 40 million passengers per year in Mumbai. The building combines international and domestic passenger services under one roof, optimizing terminal operations and reducing walking distances. The terminal’s roof — one of the largest in the world without an expansion joint — allows the spacing of 30 columns to be far enough apart to allow for maximum flexibility in the arrangement of processing facilities. A 50-foot-tall glass cable-stayed wall, the longest in the world, wraps the terminal, enabling well-wishers to watch as their friends and family depart.
China Merchants Tower & Woods Park adds 103,000 square meters of new office and retail space to Shenzhen’s Nanshan District. The tower’s bowed and tapered form allows lower floors to slope away from the sun, decreasing the amount of solar radiation that strikes the exterior wall. The shape also distributes exterior notches that support balconies, giving tenants access to the outdoors on each level. Notches on each floor double the number of corner offices that would be possible in a traditional rectilinear tower. The building’s low-E, unitized glass curtain wall and horizontal glass fins also help to reduce solar gain. Aesthetically, the fins refract light at night and work in conjunction with the top of the tower — its signature element — to illuminate the form, making the building read as a beacon across Shenzhen.
The San Bernardino Justice Center, at 361,700 square feet, is the largest of California’s new courts. It improves the operations of the San Bernardino justice system by consolidating functions that previously had been spread across 12 different buildings. The certified LEED® Gold facility was designed to outperform California’s stringent Title 24 energy codes. Located within a region of high seismicity and in close proximity to active and potentially active earthquake faults, the highest level of care was given to the design and construction of the structure to elevate its long-term resiliency.