ZGF’s groundbreaking mass timber airport terminal design premieres in Portland | News

A groundbreaking ZGF transportation infrastructure project, the new main terminal at Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon, has just opened after a five-year, $2.15 billion renovation.

The design calls for a 9-acre (3.5 million board feet) prefabricated solid wood roof and will enable the airport to handle 35 million passengers annually by 2045.

While the existing capacity was doubled, ZGF says it was able to reduce energy consumption across the entire project by 50% by installing a fully electric geothermal heat pump.

ZGF partner Gene Sandoval said: “We faced a major challenge: to evolve a terminal that essentially consists of several buildings that have been built together since the 1950s, while doubling the capacity and at the same time creating an experience that passengers and employees will enjoy as much as the original.”

A total of 49 individual skylights combine with the roof’s lattice structure to create a daylighting strategy that illuminates 60% of the design. The $125 million signature design element, which consists of four components woven together in reference to techniques used by the region’s indigenous communities, is supported by 34 Y-shaped glulam columns. This gives the building a handcrafted character while concealing key mechanical systems to maintain the sense of naturalism and grandeur of the Pacific Northwest’s scenic beauty. All wood products used were sourced within a 300-mile radius.

A second phase to install the project’s travel-focused retail and dining experience is also underway for early 2026. More than 5,000 living plant species complete the biophilic element of the project. ZGF notes that their work continues a six-decade relationship with their client, the Port of Portland, which opened the facility in 1958.