Illustrated split view of old vs. modern US airport design, showing outdated maze-like concourses on the left and a sleek, efficient terminal with clear signage and passenger amenities on the right, symbolizing America’s airport rebuild and modernization.

From Runway to Rebuild: The Architectural Evolution of US Airports

  • Building, Design & Architecture
Billions of dollars are reshaping US airports after decades of decline, with new terminals built for efficiency, resilience and civic pride

Airports are among America’s most visible public works—and for decades, they’ve been an international punchline.

In 2014, then Vice President Joe Biden famously called LaGuardia “a third world airport.” Meanwhile, global peers like Singapore’s Changi and Seoul’s Incheon were topping passenger satisfaction rankings with gardens, fast security and seamless design.

That gap is driving what Airports Council International–North America estimates as $151 billion in capital needs over the coming years—the largest sustained wave of US airport modernization in decades.

The Jet Age

In the 1960s, airports were built as architectural flexes. Eero Saarinen’s TWA Flight Center at JFK, with its winged concrete shell and sunken red lounges, was more stage set than terminal. The LAX Theme Building went full sci-fi with its flying-saucer design. These weren’t just transit spaces; they were symbols of Cold War optimism and civic ambition.

The Gray-Carpet Years

Deregulation in 1978 changed everything. Flying got cheaper, passenger numbers spiked and design budgets dried up. Corridors were stretched, concourses bolted on and after 9/11, security zones swallowed space that was never designed for them.

By the 2000s, US airports had a reputation problem. J.D. Power’s 2010 study logged its lowest satisfaction scores since the index began, with complaints about long lines, poor amenities and confusing layouts. LaGuardia became the shorthand, but it wasn’t alone—“beige carpet, bad food, long lines” summed up the American airport experience.

The Rebuild

That cycle is finally breaking. Analysts project more than $150 billion in upgrades, backed by federal grants through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. And travelers are noticing. J.D. Power’s 2023 satisfaction index rose to 780 out of 1,000, a three-point gain despite record volumes, driven by better terminals, food and baggage claim. LaGuardia, once dead last in satisfaction, has climbed back to the large-airport average after its overhaul.

Major rebuilds now underway:

These aren’t just cosmetic upgrades. Priorities now include shorter walks, clearer navigation, better air circulation and resilience against the next shock—from touchless security to energy redundancy.

A New Barometer

Airports have always mirrored national ambition. The Jet Age terminals broadcast optimism; the gray-carpet years exposed neglect. Today’s multibillion-dollar rebuilds mark the US finally treating airports as civic infrastructure on par with highways and bridges.

J.D. Power’s redesigned 2024 study reinforces that shift: 60% of travelers said they enjoyed their time in the airport, and 59% said it reduced travel stress—a remarkable shift from a decade ago. Top performers included Minneapolis–St. Paul, Detroit and Phoenix in the mega category, with John Wayne (Orange County) leading large airports and Indianapolis topping medium airports.

No, these projects won’t rival Changi’s butterfly gardens or Doha’s art museums. But if the next generation of travelers finds fewer choke points, cleaner air and terminals that reflect the cities they represent, then this rebuild era won’t just be about new terrazzo floors. It will mark whether America can still build public spaces that matter.

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A European Architecture Tour: How Five Cities Are Reimagining the Built Environment

  • Building, Design & Architecture
Discover how five European cities balance heritage, sustainability and innovation in architecture

Europe’s cities are living museums of architecture, where centuries-old structures stand shoulder to shoulder with bold new designs. But beyond aesthetics, many urban centers are rethinking what it means to build, preserve and adapt in the face of today’s challenges—sustainability, livability and cultural identity.

To see this transformation firsthand, we’re taking a journey through five cities—Dublin, London, Copenhagen, Munich and Stockholm—each offering its own perspective on how architecture and construction are shaping the future.

Dublin: Breathing New Life Into the Old

Dublin’s architectural story today is one of renewal. Rather than replacing its historic stock, the Irish capital is focused on retrofitting—upgrading older buildings to meet modern performance standards while safeguarding their character.

This approach not only cuts carbon emissions by extending building lifecycles; it also reinforces Dublin’s sense of place. From office conversions to sustainable housing retrofits, construction teams here are proving that the greenest building is often the one that already exists.

Explore more in our deep dive on Dublin’s retrofit movement.

London: A City of Contrasts

If Dublin is about reusing the past, London is about constantly weaving the old with the new. The city’s skyline is a dramatic mix: glass towers rising above medieval streets, former warehouses reborn as cultural hubs and infrastructure projects that stitch together an ever-expanding metropolis.

What makes London fascinating is not just its architectural ambition, but how it negotiates contrast. Construction professionals here are tasked with balancing heritage protections, sustainability goals and the demands of a global city—all while creating spaces that resonate with residents and visitors alike.

Learn more in our feature on London’s evolving architecture.

Copenhagen: Living the Sustainability Vision

Few cities embody sustainability as completely as Copenhagen. Architecture here doesn’t just accommodate people—it reshapes daily life. From carbon-neutral housing blocks to bicycle superhighways, design decisions consistently aim to reduce impact while enhancing livability.

Construction projects in Copenhagen are testbeds for how the built environment can work in harmony with the planet. The city shows what’s possible when political will, public support and innovative design align.

See more in our Copenhagen spotlight.

Munich: Engineering Meets Heritage

Munich is often associated with tradition—think historic plazas and Bavarian façades—but its construction sector is highly modern. The city is embracing precision engineering and digital tools, proving that technology and tradition can coexist.

New developments here demonstrate a careful balance: structures that are efficient and technologically advanced yet designed to complement Munich’s rich architectural identity. For builders and designers, the lesson is clear: innovation doesn’t have to come at the expense of heritage.

Take a closer look at Munich’s architectural evolution.

Stockholm: Designing for Tomorrow

Our final stop is Stockholm, where architecture leans boldly into the future. The city is at the forefront of climate-conscious construction, with projects that emphasize renewable materials, resilient infrastructure and human-centered design.

Scandinavian design principles—clarity, simplicity, functionality—are visible throughout the cityscape, but what sets Stockholm apart is its forward momentum. It’s a city where construction isn’t just about meeting today’s needs but preparing for decades ahead.

Discover more in our Stockholm feature.

A Journey Across Perspectives

From Dublin’s retrofits to Stockholm’s future-focused design, this European tour reveals more than regional differences. It shows how architecture and construction can be a force for resilience, sustainability and cultural expression.

Each city has its own answers to the same pressing question: How can we build in ways that respect the past, serve the present and prepare for the future?

As Europe continues to lead by example, the lessons from Dublin, London, Copenhagen, Munich and Stockholm will resonate far beyond their borders—offering inspiration for construction professionals everywhere.

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Illustration of evening view of 5 Times Square in Midtown Manhattan during a representation of its office-to-residential conversion, with warm lights glowing from newly framed apartments inside the high-rise’s glass and steel structure, symbolizing adaptive reuse, sustainable building design, and affordable housing in New York City.

One Tower, 1,250 Homes: How 5 Times Square Is Being Rebuilt from the Inside Out

  • Building, Design & Architecture, Sustainability
The Midtown office tower conversion offers a real-world blueprint for high-rise reuse, housing relief and carbon cuts without starting from scratch

In the heart of Midtown, a 38-story glass giant is being reworked from the inside out—not to reopen as offices, but to house people. No demolition. No do-over.

Just 1,250 apartments—including 313 permanently affordable homes—taking shape inside what used to be one of Times Square’s most prominent commercial towers.

5 Times Square is now one of the largest office-to-residential conversions under construction in Midtown Manhattan. It’s an initially filed $95 million transformation led by RXR with design by Gensler.

While renderings and feasibility studies are easy to commission, this one’s happening.

Why 5 Times Square Works When Most Buildings Don’t

Most office buildings aren’t cut out for conversion. Too deep. Too dark. Too messy to make code. But 5 Times Square checks just enough boxes to make it viable—and just difficult enough to prove it isn’t easy.

What gave it a shot:

  • A centralized service core that simplifies residential circulation.
  • ~31,000-square-foot floorplates that can accommodate natural light.
  • A fully glazed curtain wall supporting daylight access and façade reuse.
  • Steel framing and slab spacing compatible with residential layouts.

Still, this isn’t some light remodel but a near-complete rework: plumbing risers drilled, corridors rerouted, HVAC systems (expected to be electrified), elevator shafts reassigned. What’s more, the design is being scoped to comply with Local Law 97’s 2030 emissions caps, though detailed MEP plans aren’t yet public.

Floor by Floor, Above a Transit Superhub

As of early 2024, vacancy hovered around 75%, with the remaining tenants phasing out. That’s enabled a rare sequencing window: floor-by-floor interior buildouts above an active base of retail and transit access.

Construction challenges include:

  • Penetrating existing slabs for plumbing and shaft extensions.
  • Pressurizing stairwells and adjusting egress to meet residential code.
  • Mechanical, electrical and elevator retrofits for higher-density operation.
  • Vertical sequencing logistics above occupied and retail areas.

All of this is unfolding above the Times Square–42nd Street/Port Authority station complex, the busiest in New York with 54.3 million entries in 2023. The original tower was built around it. The retrofit must work around it, too.

What Made This Possible? A Rare Stack of Policy and Timing

Structure matters. So does zoning. But to convert at this scale in Midtown, you need a rare alignment of law, finance and timing.

MechanismImpact
FAR Cap LiftedNY’s FY2025 budget eliminated the 12 FAR cap for residential citywide, enabling denser projects like this one in Midtown.
467-m Tax IncentiveBy including 25% permanently affordable units, the project qualifies for up to 35 years of property tax relief.
Ground Lease RenegotiatedRXR paid $8 million to revise its lease with the City of New York, unlocking flexibility to proceed.
Conversion AcceleratorA city program enabling expedited review across zoning, DOB and housing agencies.

The Carbon Math Behind Not Starting Over

Tearing down a steel tower like this would waste decades of embodied carbon. And in a city where Local Law 97 penalties are looming, that math matters.

5 Times Square is pushing that advantage:

  • Keeping structural steel and envelope intact.
  • Moving toward electrified systems for future carbon-free operation.
  • Leveraging transit-oriented design.

This is pragmatic carbon avoidance, layered into a housing play that works—barely—because the building allows it.

One Building Won’t Fix the Housing Crisis. But It Can Shift the Blueprint.

This project isn’t a cure-all but a working model—flawed, complicated and happening.

5 Times Square shows what’s possible when policy, design and development finally align. It shows what’s hard (shaft work, lease rewrites, policy risk) and what’s worth it (permanently affordable housing, avoided carbon, reused urban infrastructure).

It doesn’t solve the crisis. But it proves we’re not stuck.

And that makes it more than a project. It makes it precedent.

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Michigan's BIG House

Cathedrals and Hidden Gems: Inside the Architecture of College Football’s Most Iconic—and Underrated—Stadiums

  • Building, Design & Architecture
From 100,000-seat giants to mountainside gems, explore the design, engineering and traditions that make college football stadiums unforgettable

A college football stadium feels different from any other structure.

Maybe it’s the impossible scale—tens of thousands swaying in unison. Maybe it’s the loyalty handed down from generation to generation, embedded in brick and steel. Or maybe it’s the magic trick of a building that can feel both colossal and personal at the same time.

The Icons of Scale and Sound

Michigan Stadium (“The Big House”) — University of Michigan

  • Capacity: 107,601
  • Opened: 1927
  • Architectural note: Designed for future expansion; field lowered 3.5 feet in 1991 to add seating without changing its profile.
  • Why it’s legendary: Largest in the U.S. and Western Hemisphere.

Beaver Stadium — Penn State University

  • Capacity: 106,572
  • Opened: 1960 (current site; original 1909)
  • Architectural note: 1978 expansion used hydraulic jacks to raise sections and insert 16,000 seats.

Ohio Stadium (“The Horseshoe”) — Ohio State University

  • Capacity: 102,780
  • Opened: 1922
  • Architectural note: 2001 renovation lowered the field, added seating and enclosed the south end.

Neyland Stadium — University of Tennessee

  • Capacity: 101,915
  • Opened: 1921
  • Architectural note: Vol Navy boat access, one of several stadiums with this tradition.

Bryant–Denny Stadium — University of Alabama

  • Capacity: 100,077
  • Opened: 1929

Tiger Stadium (“Death Valley”) — Louisiana State University

  • Capacity: 102,321
  • Opened: 1924
  • Why it’s legendary: Roars recorded on seismographs in the 1988 “Earthquake Game” and 2022 Alabama win.

Kyle Field — Texas A&M University

  • Capacity: 102,733
  • Opened: 1927; rebuilt 2014–15.

Autzen Stadium — University of Oregon

  • Capacity: 54,000
  • Opened: 1967
  • Why it’s legendary: 127.2 dB noise record vs. USC in 2007

The Underrated and Unexpected

Kidd Brewer Stadium — Appalachian State University

  • Capacity: 30,000
  • Why it’s memorable: 2007 upset of Michigan.

Husky Stadium — University of Washington

  • Capacity: 70,138
  • Noise: Over 130 dB.

Yale Bowl — Yale University

  • Capacity: 61,446.

Doyt L. Perry Stadium — Bowling Green State University

  • Capacity: 24,000.

LaVell Edwards Stadium — Brigham Young University

  • Capacity: 62,063.

Sun Devil Stadium — Arizona State University

  • Capacity: 53,599.

Where Design Meets Devotion

College football stadiums are more than the sum of their concrete, steel and turf. They are time capsules that hold decades of victories, heartbreaks and traditions passed from one generation to the next. Every renovation is a conversation between past and future, balancing modern needs with the preservation of rituals that make a place unique.

Whether it’s the thunder of 107,000 fans in a massive bowl, the echoing roar inside a 50,000-seat cauldron or the quiet majesty of a sunken field in the mountains, each venue connects people to a shared sense of place.

These structures do more than host games; they anchor communities, embody school spirit and remind us why we gather in the first place.

This fall, whether you’re walking through a century-old archway, climbing into a new premium box or docking alongside a stadium’s shoreline, remember:

The stadium isn’t just where the game is played. It’s part of the game itself.

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Evening view of Dublin’s Grand Canal Dock featuring iconic modern and historic architecture, including Boland’s Quay and the ZUR building, illustrating the city’s evolving skyline—featured in “7 Buildings That Tell the Story of Dublin’s Architecture.

7 Buildings That Tell the Story of Dublin’s Architecture

  • Building, Design & Architecture
From cultural hubs to retrofit triumphs, these seven buildings show how Dublin’s architecture balances history, innovation and bold design thinking

When it comes to architecture in Dublin, it’s worth remembering that Ireland is a country of storytellers. The best of the built environment reflects that tradition, with a design language grounded in historical significance, cultural relevance and societal values.

From adaptive reuse in Temple Bar to high-density housing in the Docklands, the seven buildings featured here each add to the narrative of the city’s evolution—and offer inspiration for AEC professionals blending old with new, solving modern design challenges and rethinking sustainability inside and out.

Irish Film Institute (IFI)

The Irish Film Institute theater foyer
Photo credit: Peter Cook

Architects: O’Donnell + Tuomey, 1996
Meeting House Square, Temple Bar

The Irish Film Institute and the thriving culture cluster that surrounds it wouldn’t exist if not for political shifts and public protests that stopped a planned bus terminal. Instead, the area became the focus of the Temple Bar Framework Plan competition in 1991. Eight young Irish architecture practices formed the now-legendary Group 91, which won by celebrating the area’s historic cobblestone streets and stone buildings.

Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey drew on their shared passion for integrating contemporary architecture within historical contexts to transform a former 18th-century Quaker meeting house into the Irish Film Centre (now Institute). They incorporated cinemas, the Irish Film Archive, a bookshop and a cafe-bar—all accessed from a glass-roofed atrium.

O’Donnell and Tuomey also designed the nearby Photo Museum Ireland and National Photographic Archive. Around the corner, Michael Kelly and Shane O’Toole repurposed a Presbyterian meeting house into The Ark, Europe’s first cultural center for children.

Awards: O’Donnell and Tuomey, Royal Institute of British Architecture Gold Medal for lifetime contributions

Trinity College Campus

The Long Room in the Trinity College Old Library
Photo credit: Trinity College Dublin

Various architects, 1750s–present
College Green, Dublin

Trinity College is a microcosm of Dublin’s architectural styles. A short walk takes visitors from the 18th century neoclassical Parliament Square buildings past the Brutalist Berkeley Library (1967) with its bold, concrete forms and on to the Museum Building (1857), a landmark Ruskinian Gothic masterpiece highlighted by colorful Irish stone and marble and exquisite carvings on exterior column capitals.

In the midst, the Old Library (1732) houses the ancient Book of Kells and 200,000 of the country’s most ancient texts in the stunning Long Room.

More recent additions like the Long Room Hub and Trinity Business School insert sustainable structures with glass facades and open design. The result is a compact campus that serves as a living archive of the city’s design history.

Electric Supply Board (ESB)

The Electric Supply Board integrated into the Georgian Mile
Photo credit: Ros Kavanaugh

Architects: Grafton Architects & O’Mahony Pike, 2021
27 Fitzwilliam Street Lower

A short stroll from Trinity College lies the Electric Supply Board (ESB) headquarters. Demolishing 16 18th century townhomes to build the ESB complex in the 1970s disrupted the flow of the historic Georgian Mile—and restoring architectural continuity while replacing that edition with a contemporary office building was no easy feat.

“It takes its inspiration from the Georgian proportions, the windows, the rhythm,” said Sandra O’Connell, director of architecture and communications, Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland. “It’s very spatially complex.”

The building uses brownish-pink brick, vertical window slashes, iron railings and granite stoops to reflect the surrounding structures. A solid wall opens to diagonally aligned courtyards and higher buildings not seen from the street. The 45,000-square-meter structure achieved BREEAM Excellent certification, demonstrating a commitment to sustainability as well as aesthetics and tradition.

Awards: RIAI Award for Workplace and Fit-out, Architectural Association of Ireland Downes Medal, Irish Building and Design Award

Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications reimagined interior
Photo credit: Paul Tierney

Architect: Office of Public Works, 2024
Tom Johnson House, Haddington Road

Once slated for demolition, Tom Johnson House became a case study in sustainable retrofit. The original six-story building featured long corridors and office cells with little light or ventilation.

“Just a decade earlier, it would have been demolished for a fancy new office building,” O’Connell said. “But the government architects decided to completely retrofit, upgrade and reuse the existing building.”

The retrofit doubled staff capacity to 500 and introduced a naturally ventilated atrium with abundant daylight. The building was named a Public Sector Retrofit Pathfinder, and the team designed the space to use existing resources and lessen carbon footprint.

Minister Eamon Ryan applauded it a model for future efforts: “Tom Johnson House will act as a blueprint for how we transform existing buildings for future use.”

Awards: RIAI Public Choice Award, 2024, Ireland’s Climate Change Green Building Project of the Year

Alto Vetro

Alto Vetro, a symbol of the Celtic Tiger
Photo credit: Shay Cleary Architects

Architect: Shay Cleary, 2007
Grand Canal Quay, Grand Canal Dock

One of the slimmest residential towers in Europe, Alto Vetro (“High Glass”) makes a big impression on a small footprint—just 69 by 26 feet.

The 16-story tower includes 24 apartments, retail and a ground-floor cafe. Each floor is defined by slim stone bands and floor-to-ceiling glazing. The building blends strong vertical form with lightness and openness in contrast to the historic Docklands’ low rises.

The structure is considered a flagship for urban density done right, offering expansive vistas but slim enough not to overwhelm Grand Canal Dock views. The RIAI jury praised it as “pitch-perfect in its relation of form to site.”

Prize: RIAI Silver Medal for Housing, 2007-2008

Hanover Quay Development

Hanover Quay on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay
Photo credit: O’Mahony Pike Architects

Architect: O’Mahony Pike, 2007
Grand Canal Dock

This mixed-use project transformed a brownfield site into one of Dublin’s most vibrant communities. Offices, restaurants and 292 residential units line five streets near the Grand Canal basin.

The Dublin Docklands Development Authority’s (DDDA) aim was to integrate private and social housing with similar construction standards and equal access to daylight, shared gardens and waterfront views. The resulting structures provide options for different income levels and enhance a social infrastructure for all of Dublin.

Award: RIAI Silver Medal for Housing, 2007

Dublin Port Substation

Dublin Port Substation at the boundary of city and port
Photo credit: Enda Cavanaugh

Architects: Dunwoody & Dobson and Darmody Architecture, 2024
Alexandra Road, North Wall

Built around 1908, the redbrick substation once helped electrify the port. By 2016, the structure was deteriorating, but its historic value spared it from demolition.

The original footprint was preserved while a glass extension added kitchen, bathroom and cloakroom space. The building now hosts lectures, concerts and other public programs.

The substation also houses a preserved section of the 18th-century sea wall—once a physical divide between port and city. As part of Dublin Port’s Distributed Museum, it now anchors a broader narrative of maritime heritage.

Awards: RIAI Public Choice Awards Finalist, 2024

What Dublin Teaches About Building for the Future

These seven buildings aren’t just architectural highlights but examples of how cities can grow with grace. For architects, engineers and builders, Dublin offers a compelling case study of approaches to shaping the built environment that give form and expression to an evolving narrative.

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The Sphere in Las Vegas with its curved LED exterior display, showcasing cutting-edge architecture and immersive audio-visual engineering in the heart of the city.

Built for Sound: How Legendary Music Venues Are Engineered to Rock

  • Building, Design & Architecture
Iconic venues like Red Rocks, The Sphere and The Ryman are masterclasses in acoustic design, precision construction and sonic engineering

Before the lights come up and the bass hits your chest, there’s the build.

Not the band. Not the roadies. The real build—the one made of steel trusses, acoustic panels, cantilevered decks and 20,000 perfectly placed seats.

From Red Rocks to The Sphere, concert venues aren’t just places where people go to hear music. They are music—shaped by stone, concrete, wood and sound science. But none of it works without builders. Without crews who can pour a stage slab to within an eighth of an inch or jack a 200-ton acoustic ceiling into place without cracking the dome above.

Here’s how some of the most legendary music venues in the world were engineered to rock—and what those projects say about the precision, collaboration and craftsmanship behind the scenes.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre (Colorado, USA)

Red Rocks is one of the only concert venues on Earth shaped largely by geology. The amphitheater sits nestled between 300-foot monoliths—Ship Rock and Creation Rock—which naturally reflect and amplify sound across the bowl. The venue’s “outdoor cathedral” acoustics are the result of perfect topography, but its longevity comes from precision construction.

In 2021, the venue underwent a major structural upgrade: a new copper-clad tension-grid roof was installed above the stage, increasing rigging capacity from 36,000 to 150,000 pounds and offering new acoustic control through Douglas fir paneling beneath. Designers and crews had to match this addition to the character—and natural echo chamber—of the historic rock bowl without compromising acoustics or visuals.

Flanked by 300-foot natural monoliths, Red Rocks amplifies sound with geology—and now supports 150,000 pounds of rigging thanks to a copper-clad roof upgrade.

The O2 Arena (London, UK)

Ever built a full concert venue inside a giant fabric dome? That’s exactly what happened with The O2 Arena, formerly the Millennium Dome. The construction team prefabricated the acoustic roof on the ground—layering perforated aluminum, mineral wool and steel for extreme bass containment—then hydraulically jacked it into place under the tented roof.

Engineers had to leave a precise 4-meter ventilation gap between the steel structure and the fabric above while maintaining tight tolerances for sound isolation and fire safety. The result is a venue with massive scale and surprisingly intimate, controlled sound.

To build The O2’s arena inside a fabric dome, engineers prefabricated the acoustic roof on the ground and hydraulically jacked it into place—while maintaining a 4-meter gap for airflow and safety.

The Ryman Auditorium (Nashville, USA)

Originally built as a tabernacle in 1892, the Ryman Auditorium has acoustics so natural and resonant that artists barely need amplification. Its signature sound comes from its horseshoe-shaped balcony, hard plaster walls and 100-year-old curved pews—all of which diffuse sound organically.

When the venue was renovated in the 1990s and again in 2015, crews were instructed not to tamper with the sound. Updates to lighting, HVAC and even seating upholstery were made using materials carefully selected to preserve the venue’s warm reverb and natural brightness.

The Ryman’s 100-year-old curved pews and horseshoe balcony create such warm, natural acoustics that sound engineers were told not to touch a thing—even during major renovations.

The Sphere (Las Vegas, USA)

The newest member of the “engineered to rock” club is also the most high-tech. The Sphere in Las Vegas is an immersive audio-visual arena with 18,600 seats, a 16K LED interior surface and more than 167,000 beamforming speakers embedded in the walls. Every seat gets a spatially targeted audio mix.

Construction-wise, The Sphere pushed every boundary. Crews installed a vibration-isolated, haptic-enabled floor to transmit bass through your body. Overhead, a domed steel grid supports the world’s largest curved display. Every surface had to be installed with millimeter precision to avoid latency, echo or comb filtering.

With 167,000 beamforming speakers and a haptic floor that vibrates with the bass, The Sphere delivers custom audio to every seat—thanks to construction executed with millimeter precision.

The Physics of Good Sound

Great sound isn’t just about speakers. It’s about what you build around them. Here’s how acoustics really work, and what construction has to do with it.

Reverb vs. Echo:

  • Reverb = smooth tail of sound.
  • Echo = delayed bounce-back that muddies everything.

    What controls it? Surfaces, shapes and how precisely they’re installed.

Absorption Matters:

Different materials absorb sound differently:

  • Concrete reflects.
  • Mineral wool and fabric absorb.
  • Wood and acoustic panels do both—if placed right.

Room Shape = Sound Shape:

Parallel walls trap “standing waves.” Curves, tiers and angles diffuse sound evenly. Bad geometry = dead spots and hotspots.

Standing Waves:

These happen when sound reflects perfectly and either cancels out or stacks. One row thumps. The next? Nothing.

Fix: bass traps, angled walls and proper AV tuning after install.

……

Global Sound Legends

Sydney Opera House (Australia)

A marvel of form and function, the Sydney Opera House suffered from poor sound in its Concert Hall for decades—until a 2022 retrofit added 18 massive “petal” reflectors over the stage. These curved fiberglass panels can be raised or lowered to optimize acoustics for different performances. Construction teams had to integrate them into Utzon’s heritage architecture without altering the hall’s iconic look.

A 2022 retrofit added 18 giant “petal” reflectors to fix decades of poor acoustics—without altering the Opera House’s iconic architecture.

Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles, USA)

Designed by Frank Gehry and tuned by Yasuhisa Toyota, Disney Hall features vineyard-style seating, floating acoustic “sails” and a warm Douglas fir interior. During design, the team tested a 1:10 scale model filled with nitrogen to simulate real sound conditions. Even the HVAC ducts were shaped with airflow velocity and sound clarity in mind.

Designers filled a 1:10 scale model with nitrogen to test acoustics before construction, ensuring that Disney Hall’s warm Douglas fir and floating sails sound as good as they look.

Berlin Philharmonie (Germany)

Home to the Berlin Philharmonic, this 1963 venue pioneered the now-standard “vineyard” seating layout. Scharoun’s design placed the orchestra in the center of tiered terraces, surrounded by convex reflector clouds and sound-absorbing materials. The result: crisp diffusion and perfect sightlines in every direction.

Built around a central orchestra pit with vineyard-style seating, Berlin Philharmonie’s innovative design uses convex reflectors and tiered terraces for flawless sound in every direction.

What Construction Pros Can Learn

Behind every legendary performance is a construction team that made it possible. Acoustic design is just the blueprint. Execution is what makes the room sing.

  • Precision is non-negotiable. One misaligned acoustic panel can wreck clarity.
  • Materials matter. Concrete, wood, mesh and upholstery all affect reverberation and absorption rates.
  • Coordination is everything. Architects, MEP engineers, AV specialists and structural crews must be in constant sync.
  • Mockups and field-testing work. From scale models (like Disney Hall) to full sound checks (like The Sphere), testing saves rework.

Built to Be Heard

The best concert venues don’t just host music. They become part of the music.

If you’re in the business of building spaces—concert halls or skyscrapers or residential homes—you know it’s not about showing off. It’s about getting it right.

Because when you do, people don’t just hear the difference. They feel it.

Build smarter, sound better.

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Architectural rendering of Camfil’s new flagship air filtration manufacturing facility in Texas, showcasing resilient design features, modern facade, and expanded parking space under a partly cloudy sky.

Texas Tough: Why Camfil’s New Flagship Is a Masterclass in Resilient Design

  • Building, Design & Architecture
After tornadoes leveled one facility and the COVID-19 pandemic upended supply chains, Camfil didn’t just rebuild—it doubled down on smarter, stronger design

You’d think a global leader in air quality—with 30 manufacturing plants, 5,700 employees and more than $1.3 billion in sales—might be immune to disruption.

Then came two tornadoes. And a pandemic.

For Sweden-based Camfil, those events hit hard. In March 2020, a tornado destroyed one of two buildings at the company’s Airport Road campus in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Then, in December 2021, a second tornado struck a temporary facility in Trumann, Arkansas—right as COVID-19 was wreaking havoc on global supply chains.

It was a one-two punch that forced a complete rethink—not just of how Camfil rebuilt, but where and why.

A New Site, A Bigger Vision

Camfil had already planned to expand production capacity in the U.S. before disaster struck. But the back-to-back tornadoes accelerated that urgency—and sharpened the stakes.

In fall 2021, the company committed to building a new air pollution control (APC) facility in Jonesboro. Around the same time, it announced a second major investment: a new air filtration manufacturing plant in Kilgore, Texas.

Originally budgeted at $50 million for a 350,000-square-foot footprint, the Kilgore facility would house Camfil’s full product range. But that plan didn’t last long.

“COVID-19 was creating a new normal for U.S. manufacturing with material supply delays and limited material availability,” said John Williams, director of capital projects, Camfil USA. “That would mean a price increase of 30% or more for the Kilgore facility.”

Faced with ballooning costs and a fast-changing world, Camfil’s team went back to the drawing board.

Bigger, Stronger, Smarter

By the time ground broke in September 2024, the project had doubled in scope and budget. The new Kilgore facility is now set to be Camfil’s largest single manufacturing site in the world, with 418,000 square feet of production space and an investment of $100 million.

How Camfil’s Kilgore Facility Cuts Carbon
Clean air starts with cleaner buildings. Here’s how Camfil kept sustainability front and center while scaling up in Texas:
Tilt-up concrete walls built with thermal insulation sandwiched inside—cutting heat transfer and energy use
Local materials sourced close to the site to slash emissions from transport
A TPO membrane roof with R-30 insulation to keep cooling costs down in the Texas heat
LED lighting and Low-E glass throughout for maximum efficiency and minimal waste
Original forestation left intact, with added landscaping to fight heat-island effect
Detention ponds designed to handle stormwater without overloading city systems

“Kilgore won Camfil’s selection after careful consideration,” said Camfil USA President Armando Brunetti. “Several compelling factors, including a skilled labor force, strategic location, excellent real estate options and support from Kilgore’s Economic Development Corporation influenced our decision.”

Set to open in 2025, the plant will produce and distribute all Camfil 5-Star products across North America, serving industries from pharmaceuticals to microelectronics.

Designing for Resilience—and Sustainability

Memphis-based Fisher Arnold, the project architect, designed both the Kilgore facility and the APC rebuild in Jonesboro. For Kilgore, the focus was on durability, efficiency and low embodied carbon.

“The carbon footprint will be very small for a building of this size,” said Howard Glatstein, AIA, NCARB, and principal at Fisher Arnold.

Key strategies included:

  • Tilt-up composite concrete panels: A sandwich of concrete and insulation that creates a thermal break to reduce energy transfer.
  • Locally sourced materials: To avoid emissions from transporting precast elements.
  • High-performance roofing: A TPO membrane with insulation that creates an R-value of ~30.
  • LED lighting and Low-E glass: For energy efficiency and light quality.
  • Thermally broken aluminum framing: To reduce temperature loss at glass-to-frame connections.

Camfil also preserved much of the site’s original tree cover and added landscaping to combat the heat-island effect. Stormwater detention ponds help manage runoff without overburdening Kilgore’s drainage infrastructure.

Getting It Right Before It’s Built

To navigate the complexity of the new site, general contractor CDI Contractors used a building information modeling (BIM) approach that transformed the 2D AutoCAD files from Fisher Arnold into a collaborative 3D model.

“You can see errors in the building layout in advance,” said Justin Brodnax, senior project manager at CDI. “BIM also allows for some pre-fabrication of materials that can be measured, built and brought to the site. We know they’re going to fit because we’ve modeled them in a 3D format.”

The result has been significant: Fewer mistakes. Less rework. Faster timelines.

Built to Waste Less, Operate Smarter

Camfil’s approach to sustainability doesn’t stop with energy efficiency. The company’s manufacturing process typically uses little water, but waste management still plays a big role.

The Kilgore facility will deploy high-efficiency trash compactors that reduce both landfill volume and labor requirements. Some models will also support recycling and sorting on-site, cutting transportation costs and carbon impact.

Jobs, Growth and a Stronger Supply Chain

With 226 new jobs expected, the Kilgore site will serve as a critical hub in Camfil’s U.S. manufacturing network, especially in the face of future disruptions.

More than just a plant, the facility is a response to a world that’s changing fast, from supply shocks to climate risks to soaring demand for cleaner air.

And while Camfil can’t stop the next tornado or pandemic, it’s making sure it’s ready when it comes.

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Modern glass building reflecting trees and blue sky, symbolizing sustainable architecture and the environmental transparency promoted by Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs).

What Are Environmental Product Declarations? A Guide for Architects, Engineers and Contractors

  • Building, Design & Architecture
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are becoming essential for AEC professionals aiming to reduce embodied carbon and make smarter, data-driven material choices

Would you buy food without reading the label? Probably not. Nutrition facts help consumers make informed choices about calories, ingredients and serving sizes. They give people a basic level of transparency about what they’re putting into their bodies.

That same level of transparency is now making its way into construction. Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) function like nutrition labels for building products. They provide standardized information about a product’s environmental footprint, giving architects, engineers and contractors critical data to evaluate sustainability during the design and build phases.

As the construction industry confronts growing demands to reduce embodied carbon and operate more responsibly, EPDs are becoming essential tools. But what exactly are they, how do they work and why should the AEC community care?

Defining the EPD

EPDs are third-party verified documents that summarize a product’s environmental impact, based on a comprehensive lifecycle assessment (LCA). Originally developed in Sweden in the 1990s, EPDs have grown in global relevance as sustainability standards and green building certifications have expanded.

EPDs aim to provide clarity about a material’s carbon footprint and other environmental effects across its entire lifecycle—from raw material extraction to manufacturing, use and eventual disposal.

“EPDs allow design teams to make informed choices about materials and their impacts on the planet,” said Jon Penndorf, studio director of regenerative design at Perkins & Will. “The increased transparency is something we can share with end-user and owner clients to help them develop their facility’s story.”

This story isn’t just about environmental stewardship. In many cases, it’s also a way to meet specific performance targets, adhere to sustainability frameworks like LEED and BREEAM and differentiate a project in a competitive marketplace.

Not All EPDs Are Created Equal

While EPDs offer valuable data about a product’s environmental profile, it’s important to remember that the presence of an EPD doesn’t automatically mean a product is better for the planet.

“Just because a product has an EPD doesn’t mean it’s environmentally superior to alternatives from a climate perspective,” Penndorf said.

An EPD simply signals that the manufacturer has gone through the process of measuring and disclosing environmental data. That transparency is valuable—but not a guarantee of low impact. Evaluating whether a product is truly a better option still requires context, comparison and often additional certifications or data sources.

“Having an EPD, especially when combined with other transparency data such as Health Product Declarations and third-party materiality certifications, including Greenguard and Cradle to Cradle, provides a holistic understanding of a product’s impacts,” Penndorf added.

The Purpose Behind EPDs

EPDs play a growing role in sustainability strategies, particularly as the construction sector seeks to reduce its contribution to climate change. Building materials and processes account for a significant portion of global carbon emissions. Choosing products with lower embodied carbon can significantly reduce a project’s environmental impact.

“EPDs can also demonstrate how manufacturers are making strides to reduce embodied carbon of their goods, which can help push the market toward a lower carbon impact,” Penndorf said.

What Makes an EPD Credible?

To be trusted and useful in real-world projects, an EPD must meet specific credibility standards:

  • Compliance with ISO standards: EPDs must follow standardized international procedures for lifecycle assessments.
  • Adherence to product category rules (PCRs): These define how LCAs are conducted for different types of products and ensure consistency within categories.
  • Third-party certification: This adds an extra layer of impartiality and credibility.
  • Functional unit definition: EPDs should clearly indicate the measurement basis, such as “per square foot” or “per kilogram.”
  • Defined lifecycle stages: The document should identify the scope of the analysis, whether it includes only production (cradle to gate), full usage (cradle to site) or complete lifecycle impacts (cradle to grave).

“All of these characteristics are essential to understand what has been evaluated, so we can accurately use that data to tally the impact of a material based on the amount in a design,” Penndorf said.

These lifecycle stages help project teams understand what’s covered in the analysis and how it aligns with the broader environmental goals of the project. For instance, if a project prioritizes end-of-life recyclability or maintenance costs, an EPD limited to cradle-to-gate analysis may not be sufficient.

Making the Most of an EPD

While EPDs provide valuable data, using them effectively requires a degree of diligence. The first step is verifying the document’s authenticity and scope. Check whether it has been reviewed by an accredited third party and whether it remains valid—EPDs typically have a five-year shelf life.

It’s also important to examine the details of how the EPD was developed. Not all EPDs are generated using the same assumptions, methodologies or functional units, which can make direct comparisons difficult.

“Comparing EPDs that were created using different methodologies, LCAs or PCRs is challenging,” Penndorf noted. “A valid comparison needs a clear picture of the circumstances under which a product or material will be used.”

In other words, don’t assume that a lower carbon number in one EPD means it’s the better product. Different inputs may skew the comparison. Even product variants can affect performance.

“For example, an EPD may document the impacts of batt insulation,” Penndorf said. “But that same batt insulation may come in different thicknesses or include a paper or foil backing. Each variable must be accounted for to confirm that the specified product and impacts align.”

EPDs, Clients and Code Compliance

Many architects and contractors are now expected to account for environmental performance in client proposals. Whether or not a client demands EPDs specifically, including them in the specification process can serve as evidence of thoughtful design, compliance with ESG frameworks and support for green certifications.

Even so, not every building product comes with an EPD. In fact, many manufacturers don’t publish them at all—sometimes due to proprietary ingredients, complex product composition or lack of internal expertise in lifecycle assessments.

“This could be because their products are complex, with many materials and parts,” Penndorf said. “Or the manufacturer may feel the product is proprietary and therefore doesn’t want to release ingredient information.”

For project teams aiming to complete full-building lifecycle assessments or reduce overall embodied carbon, the absence of EPDs can be a challenge. In these cases, design professionals may prioritize manufacturers who do publish EPDs, both to simplify specification and support broader sustainability goals.

Moreover, regulations are increasingly shifting toward transparency. In several jurisdictions, building codes now include mandates around energy efficiency and environmental disclosure. EPDs can help meet these regulatory benchmarks—and ensure future readiness as standards continue to evolve.

“In addition, many countries and regions now require new buildings to achieve specified levels of energy efficiency or to use environmentally friendly materials,” Penndorf said. “As building codes and regulations become more stringent, the use of EPDs will likely grow.”

Building a Transparent Future

The AEC industry is under pressure—from regulators, clients and the environment itself—to make more responsible choices about materials and methods. EPDs offer a clear path forward.

While not every project will require them today, EPDs are quickly becoming a baseline expectation for sustainable design. They equip professionals with the information needed to reduce carbon emissions, choose responsibly and demonstrate environmental performance.

EPDs aren’t a silver bullet. But they are a crucial part of the toolkit for anyone committed to building smarter, cleaner and more consciously.

Whether you’re working on a new build, a retrofit or a tenant improvement, now is the time to start reading the label.

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