Gresham Smith is proud to announce that the expansion to Richmond International Airport’s (RIC) Concourse A has been honored as the 2022 Commercial Airport Architectural Project of the Year by the Southeast Chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives (SEC-AAAE). Additionally, Gresham Smith has been honored as the Corporate Member of the Year. Gresham Smith staff accepted the awards at the SEC-AAAE Annual Conference in Memphis, Tennessee on Tuesday, April 12.
“The partnership between Richmond International Airport (RIC) and Gresham Smith has been momentous,” said Perry J. Miller, A.A.A.E., I.A.P., president and CEO of the Capital Region Airport Commission. “The expansion of Concourse A accommodates demand driven by periods of historic passenger traffic increases and the design facilitates an enhanced experience for our guests.”
“We are proud to have our most recent project at Richmond chosen as the Commercial Airport Architectural Project of the Year because it recognizes RIC’s commitment to the passenger experience,” said Wilson Rayfield, AIA, LEED AP, executive vice president of aviation at Gresham Smith. “We’re also honored to have been named the chapter’s corporate member of the year. We value our partnership with RIC and the SEC-AAAE and are thrilled to share in these awards.”
Gresham Smith’s long-lasting relationship with RIC began as a vision and long-range development plan in 1994. Due to record-breaking growth over recent years, Capital Region Airport Commission elected to expand the terminal’s Concourse A and called on Gresham Smith to lead architecture, interior design, experiential design and wayfinding, and construction administration services for the comprehensive project. The two-story, seven-gate expansion creates an additional 60,000 square feet for airline operations, passenger holdrooms, concessions space, and new public restrooms, as well as tenant space for airline ramp operations on the ground level of the concourse. The newly expanded Concourse A’s larger volume and additional gates increase RIC’s overall capacity for long-term growth while enhancing the passenger experience.
With more than 600 members, the Southeast Chapter is the largest chapter of the American Association of Airport Executives. This chapter represents twelve states as well as the Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia. The 2023 SEC-AAAE Annual Conference will be held in Richmond, Virginia, April 29 – May 3.
