LaGuardia Airport hits sustainability milestone with LEED cert

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Laguardia Airport’s newly constructed Terminal B has earned high marks for sustainable design by internationally recognized standards. Photo courtesy of LaGuardia Gateway Partners

Laguardia Airport’s newly constructed Terminal B has earned high marks for sustainable design by internationally recognized standards. Photo courtesy of LaGuardia Gateway Partners

By Rachel Vick

LaGuardia Airport’s new Terminal B has earned a landmark energy efficiency rating from the U.S. Green Building Council, officials announced last week.

The airport project is the first in the world to earn a LEED v4 Gold certification for building design and construction for its sustainability-focused build.

“Achieving LEED v4 Gold status at Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport under the stringent version 4 requirements underscores our commitment to live up to ever higher sustainability targets as we completely transform LaGuardia from the ground up,” said Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Executive Director Rick Cotton. “We committed in 2018 to meet the Paris climate accord standards and we will continue to upgrade our sustainability targets to be consistent with President Biden’s recent enhanced climate goals.”

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design was awarded based on a construction project’s ability to meet specific benchmarks for energy efficiency, water conservation, site and material selection and waste reduction.

A majority of debris from the demolished parking garage was recycled for use in the terminal building that includes the arrivals and departures hall, eastern concourse, eastern pedestrian bridge and the central heating and refrigeration plant.

To maximize the building’s energy efficiency, the roof was lined with light-colored aluminum material designed to reflect heat from the sun, and a high tech climate control system was installed to optimize the flow of fresh air.

Instead of a constantly moving baggage handling system, the one installed in the terminal only moves when in use, saving 37 percent more energy than older models, according to airport officials.

"LaGuardia Gateway Partners prioritized sustainability throughout the redevelopment project by building Terminal B to be as energy-efficient as possible,” said Stewart Steeves, the CEO of LaGuardia Gateway Partners. “As the long-term operators of Terminal B, we continue to look for ways to reduce our carbon footprint [and] I’m thrilled that we’ve been recognized by the U.S. Green Buildings Council.”