With a flight from New York to LA consuming about 5,000 gallons of jet fuel, it’s safe to say there’s not much sustainable about the act of flying. The new Terminal 2 at San Francisco International Airport attempts to offset this carbon-intensive eco-unfriendliness with some next-generation green design. The remodeled terminal, designed by architects from Gensler, opened in April of this year at a cost of $383 million. It was just awarded LEED Gold Certification, the first airport terminal on American soil to land the honor.
So how did they achieve it? There are local and organic food vendors inside, water stations to refill your reusable bottles, intensive recycling and composting systems, and efficient energy and water management. The terminal also has large portions lit by the sun, and direct access to the SF public train system, BART.
It’s also damn beautiful to boot. Check the pics at Inhabitat, and learn more about the project from Gensler’s design team.
(via Inhabitat)
Photo via http://sfappeal.com/news/2011/02/new-sfo-terminal-slated-to-open-april-14.php