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When fast track means fast smart: The challenge of designing and building an airport and its facilities in 15 months
Journal of Airport Management,
12
(1),
53-69
(2018)
Abstract
This paper describes how three teams from three different companies, hailing from three diverse countries, having never worked together, have succeeded in the face of a seemingly impossible challenge. Moreover, it shows how good relationships and collaboration have made what was thought unachievable a reality. The three principal parties involved with the project are its owner, based in Kuwait, DGCA, the contractor, CENGIZ, based in Turkey, and the designer, the Spanish branch of the multinational infrastructure company, AECOM. The challenge was to design and build a green-field terminal and its related facilities, including all ancillary buildings, car parks and accesses roads, in 15 months starting in August 2016. In addition to the apparent obstacles faced, the project was launched with haste and not all information required to design a terminal building of such significance was available, which also meant the team had to include preliminary research as part of an already compressed schedule. This initial query required the group to draw on its previous international experience and in-house benchmarks to push the project forward. Strong cooperation and partnership between the teams provided the fuel for efficient decision making and collaboration, keeping the project on schedule and meeting tight deadlines. Despite the ambitious schedule, quality was not only uncompromised, but emphasised as a necessity for successful completion. Excellence in design has been a cornerstone of the project since its inception, meeting and exceeding standards of world class contemporary terminals around the globe.
Keywords: Kuwait T4 Terminal; challenge; fast track; design-build project; adventure; collaboration
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Patricia Ribó has 15 years of professional experience designing and building multidisciplinary projects across a variety of sectors. Her specialisation in transportation has grown out of her extensive involvement coordinating and managing successful projects and teams that have collaborated to create exceptional architecture around the globe. All this has been achieved while carrying out her role as a working mother. Her experience includes both worldclass project design and the provision of quality technical solutions. She has been responsible for leading design teams from concept design and design development, through to project construction. Her tasks have included working closely with project-related parties/external consultants to ensure that both the aesthetic and operational requirements are met in a timely and accurate manner. Patricia joined AECOM in 2013 as a member of the Buildings+Places team where she leads the aviation architecture department and is currently involved in various international projects.
Ismail H Polat is an aviation/airports adviser for Cengiz Insaat and the General Manager of Deltaturk Ltd Sti. Mr Polat has over 20 years of design and construction experience in the aviation and transportation sector. His experience in aviation started as Project Engineer in Boston Logan International Airport Terminal A Redevelopment Project and Terminal E Renovations Project as part of Skanska USA Building Inc. Aviation Group. Upon his return to Turkey in 2008, he continued working in the aviation industry, participating in several international projects in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia for public, private and military clients. Since 2013, as aviation adviser for Cengiz Construction Inc., he provides technical support for the group’s aviation projects such as Ordu-Giresun Airport, Erbil International Airport, Duhok International Airport and most recently Istanbul New Airport. As one of the technical members of the Execution Committee of Istanbul New Airport for Cengiz Construction, he is directly involved in the design and development of this important project. With a capacity of six runways and 180 million passengers per year, Istanbul New Airport will have flights to more than 350 destinations, making the new airport one of the leading airports and aviation hubs of the world. In addition to his duties at IGA, he is the Project Director in charge of the fast-track design build project of Kuwait Support Terminal leading all teams of design and construction.
