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August 6, 2026
Earlier this month, a group of AIA Colorado members had the rare opportunity to go behind the scenes at Denver International Airport (DEN), exploring spaces and systems that most travelers, and even most architects, never get to see.
Led by aviation architects James Childs, AIA, NCARB; Jena Hall, AIA, LEED AP BD+C; and John Lutz, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, of HNTB, the tour offered an in-depth look at the architecture, infrastructure, and coordination required to design and continually evolve one of the country’s busiest airports.
The day began with a closer look at the recent A-West Concourse expansion, where participants heard directly from the architects involved in bringing the project to life. The group learned about the complexities of expanding an active airport, including construction phasing, accessibility and life-safety requirements, and the challenge of maintaining airport operations throughout the process.
From there, members traveled well beyond the spaces typically experienced by the public. Below the airport, participants explored United Airlines’ baggage handling infrastructure and learned how architecture, mechanical systems, security, and operations must work together to move passengers and baggage efficiently through DEN.
The tour also brought members onto the apron level, offering a dramatically different perspective of the airport and its operations. As a special highlight, the group had the opportunity to see an Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger aircraft, up close, providing a memorable sense of the scale that airport architecture and infrastructure must accommodate.
Throughout the tour, conversations explored the many layers of aviation design, from phased construction and secure circulation to weather resilience, mechanical systems, accessibility, and the coordination required to keep a high-volume transportation hub operating safely.
The experience offered members a valuable look at the extraordinary complexity behind an environment that millions of passengers move through every year, and an opportunity to learn directly from fellow architects helping shape DEN’s continued evolution.
Special thanks to the HNTB team, James Childs, AIA, Jena Hall, AIA, and John Lutz, AIA for sharing their expertise and providing access to these rarely seen areas of DEN, and to Mo Zaina, Assoc. AIA, NCARB, and Aden Becker for organizing and facilitating this unique learning opportunity for the AIA Colorado community.