Port of Portland

For creating a truly local airport

- HANNAH WALLACE

PORTLANDERS HAVE LONG BEEN proud of their quirky airport with its retro teal-and-purple carpeting and commitment to street pricing. But with the August opening of the $2.15 billion new main terminal, the Port of Portland has turned Oregon's Portland International Airport (PDX) into a showstopping destination for all visitors. Designed by ZGF Architects, the building embraces the region's natural environment with a mass timber roof and 72 living trees throughout the concourse. All of its shops and concessions are area brands, and 90% of the labor was done by local union workers. A soon-to-be-installed groundwater heat pump, engineered by Portland-based firm PAE Engineers, will cut the heating system's use of fossil fuels by 90%. Port of Portland executive director Curtis Robinhold says the Port began working on the project seven years ago with a mandate to "impact the world that we live in—and our own community." Here's how they did