A groundbreaking transportation infrastructure project from ZGF, the new Portland International Airport (PDX) Main Terminal in Oregon, has just opened after a five-year and $2.15 billion renovation.

The design features a 9-acre (3.5 million board feet) prefabricated mass timber roof and will eventually allow the airport to serve 35 million passengers annually by 2045.

While doubling its existing capacity, ZGF says they achieved a 50% energy reduction throughout the project by incorporating an all-electric ground-source heat pump. 

ZGF partner Gene Sandoval said: “We had a tall order to evolve a terminal that’s essentially multiple buildings pieced together since the 1950s—and double the capacity while designing an experience passengers and employees will love as much as the original.”

A total of 49 separate skylights combine with the roof's lattice structure to establish a daylight strategy that illuminates 60% of the design. Supporting the $125 million signature design feature, which comprises four components woven together in an homage to techniques used by Indigenous communities in the region, are 34 Y-shaped glulam columns. This gives it a handcrafted appeal while concealing important mechanical systems to preserve the notion of naturalism and elevation of the Pacific Northwest's scenic beauty. All of the timber products used were sourced locally from within a 300-mile radius.

A second phase to install the traveller-minded retail and food & beverage experience of the project is also underway for early 2026. More than 5,000 living plant species complete the project's biophilic element. ZGF notes their work continues on a six-decade relationship with its client, the Port of Portland, which first opened the facility in 1958.