Insulated metal panels are cleared for landing at the new Nashville International Airport Concourse D

Passenger traffic has been taking off for the last decade at Nashville International Airport (BNA). As Music City’s popularity grows, it needs an airport that can accommodate upwards of 18 million travelers each year. As part of a multi-year expansion project, known as BNA Vision, Kingspan Insulated Panels helped to create a newer, greener Concourse D, which opened in July 2020.
 
Highlights:

• The 115,000-square-foot Concourse D opened in July 2020 with six new aircraft gates, art displays and a number of amenities.
• Concourse D is one of only nine newly-constructed global airport facilities to have achieved LEED® Silver certification under LEED v4 standards.
• Kingspan Insulated Panels were chosen to reduce embodied carbon and to improve thermal efficiency to help reduce operational carbon.

Challenge

Nashville continues to hit a high note with travelers from around the world, but the airport struggled to keep pace with unprecedented passenger volume. BNA Vision, a multi-year expansion plan, included a brand-new concourse D that included six domestic gates and terminal space to accommodate future growth. As BNA Vision looked to the future, energy efficiency was top-of-mind in order to reduce the airport’s carbon footprint.

Solution

Architects chose 58,127-square-feet of Designwall 2000 and Designwall 4000 panels, allowing them complete design freedom, while providing the thermal efficiency that would reduce energy consumption. The insulated metal panels provide an all-in-one barrier against air and water penetration.

Designwall 4000 panels come with advanced QuadCore® technology, providing R-values of 8 per inch. QuadCore® panels contain 28% less embodied carbon when compared to traditional industrial claddings, already putting BNA on the runway to a more sustainable future. The project was finished in just 25 months, thanks in part, to Kingspan Insulated Panels’ speed of build, reducing the amount of trades needed on site.

“The new Concourse D gives us more capacity for commercial air service to meet the rising demand for travel to and from Nashville. At the same time, it’s an impressive, energy-efficient structure reflective of the world-class airport that is taking shape.”

-Doug Kreulen, Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority president and CEO.

Influence

Concourse D was designed to have a modern look from top-to-bottom with public art installations and a variety of amenities for travelers. Architects chose Champagne Gold for the insulated metal panels in order to retain less heat and reduce energy use. The use of QuadCore® allowed BNA Vision to achieve its goal of high levels of building performance and the comfort of passengers and workers. The closed-cell insulation technology is GREENGUARD Gold certified and a Red List Free classification, putting passenger health and safety first.

The Designwall 2000 and 4000 panels work in concert with a number of other energy-saving measures, like energy-efficient lighting that dims when natural light floods into the building. Electrochromic glass blocks out excessive sunlight and heat, while reducing energy consumption. A geothermal cooling system harnesses natural resources to further reduce energy use. Water-conserving plumbing and water bottle filling stations for passengers further reduce Concourse D’s environmental impact, leading to a greener future for the friendly skies.
 

LOCATION

Nashville, TN, USA

BUILDING OWNER

City of Nashville

CONTRACTOR

Hensel Phelps

MANUFACTURER

Kingspan Insulated Panels

SIZE

115,000 Sq. Ft.

DATE COMPLETED

July 2020