Known for being the world’s first terminal to achieve LEED Platinum v4 accreditation, Harvey Milk Terminal 1 at the San Francisco International Airport is also the recipient of the American Institute of Architects California’s Climate Action Award—the highest-level design award the AIA CA bestows on architectural projects. 

The project achieved the distinction by surpassing the standard judging criteria outlined in the AIA’s Framework for Design Excellence, excelling both in terms of design and performance. The jury of four, including Kevin Alter, Partner of alterstudio, Claire Conroy, Editor-in-Chief of Residential Design Magazine, Oonagh Ryan, Founding Principal of ora_arch, and Neal Schwartz, Founder and Principal of Schwartz and Architecture, call Harvey Milk Terminal 1: “A beautiful, high-performing project from top to bottom, earning high scores in all areas of sustainability,” and state “[W]e hope airport designers around the country and world will take note of the innovations in San Francisco.” 

Woods Bagot Principal and Interior Design Leader, Katy Mercer, says, “Harvey Milk Terminal 1 continues to be recognized as a leading example of airport design because of the forward-looking and highly collaborative process that made it a reality. Working together with our expansive team and visionary Client, we knew from the onset that our primary aim was to create a terminal with the best guest experience and highest sustainability goals achievable. We are grateful to the AIA California and its 2022 awards jury for acknowledging our dedication to ecologically responsible design and experiences that emphasize comfort, joy, and wellness.” 

Already the recipient of the Center for Active Design’s Fitwel “Best in Building Health® 2021” Award, AIA San Francisco’s 2022 People’s Choice Award, and the International Partnering Institute’s 2022 Award, Harvey Milk Terminal 1’s newest honor further underscores the design community and public’s high regard of the project.