JFK New Terminal One

Engineering the Major Transformation of JFK Airport

Since 2019, Agencie has been part of the single largest infrastructure project in the United States. JFK Airport’s New Terminal One consolidates two current terminals, with 23 gates and 25 million sq ft of space. Agencie has proven experience in delivering large, complex structures on time and on budget, and works as a MWBE subconsultant for Thornton Tomasetti.

A striking glazed façade and skylights are fundamental to the design. Up to 16 million travelers a year will experience a space flooded with natural light. Agencie’s scope is secondary steel engineering. 150,000 sq ft of ETFE, glass, and opaque canopies; egress stair structures off the roadway; the ID tower; roadway baffles. All come under our structural engineering remit.

The canopies are a fabric made of ETFE. ETFE is a lightweight alternative to glass that provides similar light transmission properties while being incredibly more flexible. In addition, the flexible nature of ETFE permitted a relaxation of deflection criteria, allowing movement that would not have been possible using glass canopies. It allowed the supporting steel sections to be smaller, saving materials and space. This more efficient use of materials reflects Agencie’s commitment to cost-effectiveness and sustainability.

JFK Terminal One Canopy Section & Details

Canopy Column Base Detail

Canopy Analysis Model

The building’s signature Headhouse space features skylights and façades that are integral to the traveler’s experience. Here, Agencie engineered the secondary steel for the aperture. Visitors encounter the beauty of exposed structural steel with details that transition from the outside deep into the interiors.