Project case study

Creating a premier passenger experience

Aviation and rail

Utilities and infrastructure

Gatwick Central Search Area, UK

  • Secure area safeguards people and aircraft
  • Comfortable yet efficient passenger experience
  • Meets financial targets of the operations team
  • Maintained full operability throughout project.
Client

Gatwick Airport Limited (GAL)

Value
£20 million
Design Partners

3DReid

Partners

Vinci Construction

The challenge

Accepting the three separate search areas provided passengers with a confused experience, Gatwick tasked the design team to consolidate them  into a single, world-class security and search area.

The solution

The new area prevents prohibited items and people through departures and provides increased efficiency and passenger throughput.  The single search area has 19 lanes with intuitive lane allocation and future expansion capacity.  It provides accommodation for third party security from UKBA, ONS and VAT.

“We have achieved a huge amount and I think it has been a brilliant team effort.”

Alison Cumberland, Senior EPC Project Manager

Managing change

Due to the age of the existing infrastructure major design input was needed for both services and structures including carbon fibre strengthening, managing servicing across 5 levels of the building, a redesign of the drainage infrastructure.  The works were successfully managed to ensure minimal effect on the baggage hall, three separate roof top plant rooms and retailers.

Working closely with the project team, project architect 3D Reid, stakeholders, construction team and technical leadership phasing and logistics was managed to successfully deliver the project, whilst fully operational, with minimal disruption to passengers or retailers.

Our key services

We provided mechanical and electrical and civil and structural engineering along with design management.