Enhancing efficiency, capacity, and connectivity in IAH Terminal B

George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) Terminal B Transformation

United Airlines wanted to redefine the passenger experience at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), reinforcing Houston’s role as a global aviation hub. Iin collaboration with Grimshaw, we provided architecture, interior design, and engineering services for this project.

The design for the terminal brings new life to the 1960s modernist facility, transforming it into a seamless extension of a new public concourse. From the curbside drop-off, travelers enter a glass-enveloped hall and ascend an escalator into a bold, United-blue volume that houses security screening. This element serves as a deliberate bridge between the light-filled new construction and the re-envisioned existing structure.

Key enhancements include consolidated ticketing, self-service bag drop, and an upgraded security screening checkpoint (SSCP)—all designed to reduce wait times and optimize passenger flow. The relocation of the airport police facility, a complete replacement of building systems, and the integration of dynamic electronic art installations further strengthen security and elevate the traveler experience. Passenger arrivals and curbside departures are reoriented to improve vehicular movement, while a new headhouse provides seamless connectivity to two adjacent gate concourses, supporting efficient circulation and reduced travel time within the terminal.

After passing through security, passengers enter the original terminal that was once marked by low ceilings, cruciform columns, and limited daylight. What could have been a harsh contrast is instead transformed into a deliberate transition, orchestrated through light, material, and proportion. The design uncovers the aggregate texture of sandblasted columns, reinstates rhythm by repainting the waffle-slab ceiling, and introduces a floating veil beneath it to capture and reflect light. Fluted-glass storefronts and crisp white walls amplify brightness, while the elevator core, wrapped in LEDs with custom content, adds a soft, ambient glow, completing a sequence that transforms heaviness into continuity and clarity.

The Terminal B transformation’s adaptive reuse approach achieves a 39 percent reduction in embodied carbon and equips the terminal to welcome 36 million passengers annually into a unified, 21st-century travel experience.