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Long wait times, intimidating security checkpoints, and general malaise can exacerbate the often stressful experience of air travel. The primary role of an airport is to serve as a launching and receiving point for mass transportation. But negotiating the busy halls of an airport terminal — and being corralled into multiple queues — doesn't have to be fraught with confusion or anxiety. The time between clearing security and boarding the plane shouldn't be formulaic or unpredictable. Passengers need not feel like numbers instead of valued guests whose diverse interests should be catered to. If cities and airports want to stay competitive in the global marketplace, their reputation hinges on the success of a customer-driven experience. That's the mantra behind global design and consulting studio Woods Bagot, who has built an impressive international pedigree that emphasizes "people architecture."
Woods Bagot's extensive portfolio stretches across national boundaries and sectors. Their future-minded designs in the realms of housing, sport, education, lifestyle, and the workplace underline the importance of a human-centric approach to architecture. The practice has been particularly active in the aviation sphere. Airports are busier than ever and passenger expectations are evolving alongside advancements in technology. Over its decades-long history, Woods Bagot has developed the toolkit necessary to address lingering issues around airport design and functionality.
As a recent addition to the Woods Bagot team, Matthew Abbott's new role as the Regional Aviation Sector Leader for Australia and New Zealand follows over a decade of experience working on major aviation projects in the Middle East, Russia, United States, and Europe. Previously working out of London with a focus on European and Asian airports — including Rome's Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport and Heathrow's Terminal 5 — Abbott developed a sense of the innovations these busy hubs are adopting around the world.
Abbott believes the future of airport design is becoming less about the A-to-B aspect of air travel and more about what's in between. In sprawling terminals like Dubai's, long walking distances between nodes of activity are a reality. But Abbott explains that lengthy walking distances are typically only an issue if the general experience is poor. The journey can be made more enjoyable for the passenger if the experience of travelling between two points is more interesting. Ensuring that passengers feel they are valued customers — and that their well-being is paramount — is central to a satisfying airport experience.
Stemming from that, airports across the globe are embarking on projects to embed a greater intensity of amenities, including retail, into their properties. The airport experience is gradually becoming more relevant and personalized. Giving people options to match their preferences — having both automatic and manual check-in counters for example — is an important consideration in a multi-faceted terminal. "You're able to give passengers a choice — they can move through the airport at their convenience," said Abbott. "People talk about terminals being a portal or gateway to the city or the country that they're located in, which is true, but I see it being about what kind of place the passenger wants the airport to be. It will be their spa, museum, shopping mall, and business forum. In terms of sense of place, I see it being about a personalized and relevant experience for the passenger."
Pointing to San Francisco's Terminal 1 Redevelopment, a multi-billion-dollar exercise to revolutionize the guest experience, Abbott noted the budget to update the aging facility was mainly dedicated to the internal environment rather than the exterior appearance. "When you look at airport terminals, that really is the focus," explained Abbott. "The external view of an airport from the airfield is only viewed through a tiny window from the aircraft." He added, "The bottom line for airports is all about generating revenue. The earlier they can attract the passenger to arrive at the airport, the better. It's all about the experiential elements: the shops they have, the food and beverage experiences, and the unique attractions. It becomes part of the whole travelling journey."
In Abbott's view, Australia has excelled at expediting security processes by implementing automated border control and biometric technology systems. The pioneering system known as SmartGate has been introduced by the Australian Border Force in major cities. This practice of computerizing the immigration system through facial recognition — forgoing the need to face a border inspector — fully embraces the concept of fast travel. Combined with automated check-in and bag drop processes, Australia has set the benchmark globally for other countries. Where Australia and New Zealand can improve, Abbott says, is in the realm of guest services. Enhanced amenities in retail and the food and beverage spheres should be offered. Abbott believes Changi Airport in Singapore, Los Angeles International Airport and some European terminals can serve as a template for future success.
Woods Bagot's access to innovative tools, combined with the relationships they have established across sectors, have presented the company with unique positioning to handle the evolving spatial and technical demands of airports. Their multi-disciplinary design team, SuperSpace, uses customized computational analysis to predict and map human behaviour and trends within cities and places. This digitally supported research will help the practice understand how users interact with their surroundings, allowing for the creation of a contemporary and authentic needs-focused airport experience.
Constant collaboration with industry leaders from other sectors like retail, lifestyle, and workplace also heavily informs the work they conduct. With retail at the centre of airport design, Woods Bagot's Global Retail Leader Frank Alvarez will be working closely with Abbott to craft the airport of the future. In terms of lifestyle, Qantas Lounges have sprouted at airports around the world, with recent openings in Perth and Los Angeles, and an upcoming outpost in London Heathrow expected to go online soon. These exclusive spaces offer passengers special services, including streamlined check-in options, within a comfortable setting that features a themed design often tailored to the region's landscape. The transferable nature of these lounges ensures that similar conveniences can be offered at other global airports. In the workplace realm, Woods Bagot works closely with innovation leaders and strategists to better understand the needs of clients. The company has engaged in interactive visioning workshops directly with the client, helping to blur the lines between sectors.
One of Woods Bagot's major aviation projects in recent years has been an ongoing expansion and update of facilities at Perth's airport that began in 2009. Perth Airport's T1 Domestic Terminal for Virgin is the latest phase of the development, which envisions a heightened guest experience for up to 40 million passengers annually by 2040. In addition to improving wayfinding and guest convenience, the project produced two A380 swing gates, more space for the international departures lounge, and an extension of the terminal building for Virgin Australia's operations.
Among the project's primary goals was the reduction of visual clutter and reliance on signage. The result is a greatly improved and efficient route from check-in to boarding. All gate lounges are bathed in natural light with views of the airfield. The exterior design of the terminal is inspired by the curved geometry of aircrafts, with a sleek overhanging roof resting atop a glazed concave structure. It's indicative of the way airport design is now being considered — increasing the intuitiveness of the building's interior flow and providing catered amenities to guests is taking priority. "Woods Bagot's mantra is people architecture," said Abbott. "Putting the passenger first and focusing the project all around them — airports are a great example of our approach to people architecture."
When passengers arrive at and depart from an airport, they'll be given a first and last impression of the city. Airports can serve as grandiose introductions to a country's way of life, reflected by the retail typologies and amenities that are offered within the expansive terminal confines. A happy customer translates to increased profits, and airport operators around the world are realizing this. By appointing international leaders in design, retail, and lifestyle, there can be a harmonic blending of the services guests require and desire. As technology continues to shape our ever-evolving world, we have more tools now than ever before to better understand how users interact with their spatial surroundings, how they respond to changes in the environment, and how they can be best served.
