Leading a phased renovation across six facilities to unite, modernize, and integrate a specialized facility

United Airlines Flight Training Facility

United Airlines needed to transform its Flight Training Center (UFTC) into a premier facility that could support evolving training demands, integrate new equipment, and unify operations across a multi-building campus—all without disrupting day-to-day activity.

To meet these goals, we led a phased renovation of 470,000 square feet (43,664 square metres) across six buildings, originally constructed between the late 1960s and the late 1990s. The design creates a cohesive campus experience by connecting previously separate structures and aligning the interior architecture with United’s brand identity. The updated facility includes flight simulator bays, in-flight training areas, classrooms, office space, and a cafeteria—delivering a modern, integrated environment for future-focused training.

Several of the UFTC campus buildings currently have pneumatically controlled heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, including instrumentation, control valves, and damper actuators. We developed construction documentation to retrofit these systems with new direct digital control (DDC) hardware and software for air handling and terminal box control.

These retrofits integrate advanced energy conservation measures, optimizing performance while reducing energy consumption and costs. By significantly decreasing the need for compressed air production and distribution, the upgrades further enhance efficiency and drive long-term operational savings for United.