As Southwest Airlines expanded operations at hubs across the country in Baltimore, Denver, Houston, and Phoenix, the airline was looking to take their hangars to the next level with a consistent look in every location.

The airline sought a building façade solution that would deliver distinct branding in the airfield while also meeting FFA reflectivity requirements. To achieve sustainability and durability requirements, the airline selected CENTRIA insulated metal wall and roof panels for all new hangars in partnership with the design team.

Modern Durability to Denver

The new 130,000-square-foot technical operations complex at the Denver International Airport, including the aircraft maintenance hangar, supports Southwest Airlines’ investment in long-term operations. The complex also includes maintenance shops, offices, training facilities, and warehousing to support the technical operations team.

The hangar will support scheduled, overnight maintenance of Southwest’s fleet of nearly 730 Boeing 737 aircraft with space for three 737s inside and eight additional 737s outside.

“Working with CENTRIA from the beginning helped keep the project exterior on schedule and having the same supplier and support team from CENTRIA helped the coordination between the construction team and design team from day one,” said John Nimry, senior aviation architect with Ghafari Associates.

CENTRIA’s Versawall 36-inch-wide insulated metal panels maximized the span of the panel that could be utilized while limiting the steel required to support each, lowering the cost of the building and increasing the speed of installation. Crews installed 22,000 square feet of Summit Silver Versawall panels to fulfill the building envelope design for the hangar in Denver.

The interior of the Versawall panels was finished with a white reflective polyester coating to allow task lighting to shine brighter, giving better quality of light for the work done inside the hangar. In addition, the finish allows employees to wash the walls easily and is resilient in managing the aviation exhaust and fuel in the atmosphere.

Versawall commercial wall panel systems provide design flexibility and superior weather resistance, delivering a modern aesthetic for large-scale commercial and industrial buildings such as airplane hangars. The lightweight panels feature a thermal break between the face and liner that saves energy. A factory-applied panel joint sealant, together with field-applied sealant, creates an air and vapor barrier that provides exceptional weather resistance.

To ensure a unified, modern look for the hangar, the design team selected the Standing Seam Roof System. Crews installed 69,000 square feet of Summit Silver SRS 3 roof panels, creating a consistent aesthetic with the wall panels and a distinct look in the airfield.

SRS 3 roofing panels offer long panel lengths and versatile installation with striking sight lines. The structural standing seam system is designed as a weathertight, non-directional, low-slope roof for high performance and aesthetics on any building. SRS 3 is non-directional, enabling installation from either direction or from the middle to allow two crews to install the same system on the same slope to reduce project timelines.

Take Off

The Versawall and SRS 3 combination is slated for all four hangar locations, delivering a cohesive look for hangars across the country.

“We worked with the design team and Southwest Airlines to deliver a package for all locations,” said Steven Huck, district sales manager at CENTRIA. “Rather than looking at building by building, we were able to maintain budget across the series and maintain consistency in branding and quality of installation with the same installer and dealer for all four locations.”

The first hangar in Houston opened in January 2020, and the second, twin hangar in Denver began operations in March 2022. The third hangar in Baltimore is expected to be started in 2023 and will be consistent with the Houston and Denver designs. Timing for the hangar in Phoenix is still to be determined.