For National Aviation Day, we’re celebrating Sundt’s aviation expertise and ongoing partnership with the San Diego International Airport (SAN) where Sundt is making necessary and sustainable improvements to critical infrastructure. Collaboration often requires innovation and foresight; Sundt employee-owners bring these exact skills to SAN projects.
10+ Years of Creative Collaboration
Sundt began their relationship and collaboration with SAN over 10 years ago and continues to provide necessary improvements to airport infrastructure. Sundt prioritizes a collaborative relationship with all stakeholders and ensures safe accommodations for the airport’s more than 15 million passengers each year.
Completed in 2013 with a joint venture partner, Sundt’s first project at SAN was the Terminal 2 Landside Expansion. The scope included a 1,300-foot-long dual-level departure roadway which separated and simplified passenger traffic. From there, Sundt and a joint venture partner delivered a LEED Gold Rental Car Center in 2015, which houses 12 rental car companies. This project saw close collaboration with SAN and the surrounding communities to ensure views of the bay would not be obstructed.
Born and raised in San Diego, Project Manager Brandon Drury leapt at the chance to work on SAN projects because he saw it as an opportunity to contribute to the growth of his hometown. Brandon joined the Sundt team on the SAN Airport Support Facilities project, which included four buildings across three separate sites, and most notably, a 3.2-million-gallon underground stormwater containment cistern.
“It took a big team of talented employee-owners and design-build partners to deliver the Airport Support Facilities project. Everyone on the team contributed in different ways, which allowed us to execute with excellence and quality that both Sundt and SAN can be proud of.” The team even collaborated with SAN and the Department of Fish and Wildlife to develop a construction plan that protected the California Least Tern nesting area during their nesting season.
Finding Our Way
Now, Sundt is building SAN’s new airport administration building. The key to successful collaboration? According to Brandon, it’s all about open communication and knowing the client’s needs. In this case, that meant considering the safety of passengers as they navigate the airport during construction.
When the need arose to divert foot traffic around the jobsite, Brandon developed a plan: he walked the project site and considered various routes for passengers to navigate the airport, focusing on safety and efficiency. Then, a map was created with a key that reflected the plan for the client.
“With the creation of the wayfinding and signage plan, we wanted to show the client that we understand their needs and more importantly, are anticipating their needs in advance. This opens the opportunity for better communication, collaboration, and aligns expectations quickly.” –Brandon Drury, Project Manager
Brandon planned for foot traffic changes and for the location of the wayfinding signs. “Normally, a contractor’s role would end here, but we designed, built, installed, and continue to maintain the wayfinding plan. And most importantly, it’s working.” The signs were designed with specific instructions and airport branding; this combination ensures that travelers understand how to get to their destination and see the airport as the authority. “The wayfinding plan was established to show SAN that Sundt understands how they operate, and that we care about their passengers.”
