Fresno/Yosemite is a destination, small hub airport serving visitors to the Yosemite, Sequoia and other national parks, agribusiness within the San Joaquin valley, and farm workers and families traveling to and from Mexico. The original design was sterile and uninviting and the airport owner and operators wanted their terminal to reflect the unique features of the locale.
New interiors define FAT as the gateway to Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks. Huge steel columns are now modeled to look like redwoods. The baggage lobby has floor to ceiling murals representing the textures and colors of the local agriculture and forests. The carpet pattern resembles the grid of farmlands from far above.
The renovations and expansion include the operations side. CSHQA was architect and engineer for an out-bound baggage-handling system with in-line manual-feed Reveal CT-80 EDS baggage screening equipment, ticket lobby remodel, TSA security checkpoint relocation and expansion, baggage claim remodel and expansion, central lobby remodel (including the unique sequoia forest exhibit space.
Other unique systems include common use ticket counter computers, with display screens and ticket printers, so any airline can log in and use any ticket counter. The project improved the facility to comply with TSA security standards and guidelines and added capacity to passenger/baggage flow systems, while balancing passenger convenience and satisfaction.
This complex 69,000-sf, $9.9-million project was constructed in multiple phases in a fully operational facility. With close coordination between the architect, owner and contractor, the team achieved the program requirements and improved the airport’s image and passenger experience while maximizing the limited budget and resources.
