Lodge-Like Charm Meets Sustainability at This Airport Terminal

In winter, Gunnison, in central Colorado, is one of the coldest places in the U.S. For air travelers, its harsh weather means frequent flight delays—and long hours at the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport. Gensler Denver renovated and expanded the outdated facility to improve the passenger experience and increase energy efficiency. Now, the two-story, 48,000-square-foot structure is all electric and incorporates solar panels, geothermal systems, and upgraded insulation to achieve a net-zero energy load, which significantly reduces the county’s operating expenses. It’s also a very nice place to wait for a plane.

The team conceived lodgelike interiors that channel the two communities GUC serves: Gunnison, a working mountain town, and the quirky enclave of Crested Butte. “People should know where they’ve landed,” says Casey Johnson, Gensler associate and senior designer. Replica stag heads, cowhide rugs, and tufted-leather paneling bring a warm Western vibe, while the second-floor bar’s original ceiling of tongue-and-groove cedar has been painted bright colors, nodding to the building exteriors in downtown Crested Butte’s Elk Avenue district. Works by local artists appear throughout, including a detailed linoleum-stamp landscape print, overlaid on a map, by John Fellows that stretches the length of the security line. A feature wall, made of reclaimed Douglas fir, resembles a log cabin, and exterior columns have pops of orange like blazes on a hiking trail.

PROJECT TEAM
BRENT MATHER; JONAS PHILIPSEN; CASEY JOHNSON; BECCA FAULL; SARAH BUSCARELLO; REBEKAH WAGONER.