The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced its selection of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) for a new sustainable air-traffic control tower prototype that will initially deliver 31 highly-adaptable facilities at small regional and municipal airports throughout the United States.

The projects, funded in part through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, were selected against the agency’s strict requirements to minimize environmental impact while reducing operational costs and the price of construction. 

Construction will vary in height between 63 and 119 feet and include elements such as all-electric building systems, thermal efficient facades, mass timber, and recycled steel and metal products. The new generation of towers will replace I.M. Pei’s iconic mid-century variation on the typology and will include interior spaces tailored to the well-being of air traffic control workers. 

Geothermal heating and cooling techniques are also included in some locations. PAU says the towers will all be customizable to match local climates and seismic considerations thanks to the incorporation of standardized modular structural components that can be easily assembled by work crews.

“These new air traffic control towers will mean that smaller airports can handle more flights, more sustainably, and more affordably,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said at the announcement. “I look forward to seeing this design go from the drawing board to construction sites across the country, helping our nation’s airports support more travelers, grow their local economies, and prepare for the future of low-carbon aviation.”

PAU Founding Principal and Creative Director Vishaan Chakrabarti added: “As a practice that finds great creative possibility within tight constraints, we are thrilled to accept this challenge to create beautiful, functional architecture that serves the needs of air traffic controllers across the country while enhancing safety and reliability for the traveling public.”

PAU says they will eventually construct more than 100 of the designs and expect groundbreakings on the first set to begin sometime in the year 2024.