The New Bedford Regional Airport currently serves as a gateway to southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the islands. The airport’s main use has changed since its inception in 1940, firstly as a commercial landing field and then as an assisting wartime facility during WWII.

This design study explored concept design(s) options for the renovation, expansion, or complete replacement of the terminal, including a new ARFF facility, renovation of the existing maintenance building, and reconfiguration of the vehicular traffic patterns and parking. The study also provided recommendations for systems upgrades, code and ADA compliance, security measures, and associated order-of-magnitude costs.

During the course of the study, three options were developed. The first option was an addition/renovation to the existing building, which keeps the existing tower and restaurant in place. The second option explored building a new terminal building south of the existing building to minimize disruption to the current facilities. Finally, the third and selected option capitalized on the ideal site geometry of option 1 to create a new building inclusive of a new tower. The chosen design opens community access spaces for exhibitions by local artists or community groups, as well as smaller rooms to be made available for hosting community meetings.