Scalable, Integrated and Sustainable Design Provides a Look into the
Future of Urban Air Mobility Architecture
DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#Corgan–At the Uber Elevate Summit, Corgan, a leading architecture and design
firm, revealed their concept for the Skyport Mobility Hub, a modular,
connective, and sustainable infrastructure for Uber’s eVTOL (electric
vertical take-off and landing) flying taxis.
Corgan’s design, CONNECT | EVOLVED, is a system of components that
enables speed to market, provides flexibility to scale operations, and
can be customized as both a greenfield solution as well as a retrofit
atop existing buildings and parking garages.
“In prioritizing feasibility, Corgan saw that mass adoption of this
emerging modality would require evolving traditional notions of
connectivity,” said John Trupiano, principal at Corgan. “A scalable
design that seamlessly integrates with existing infrastructure and
considers its environmental impact, CONNECT | EVOLVED is comprised of a
kit of parts that can be customized for a variety of budgets and
locations—adding popular amenities and creating a lifestyle of aerial
mobility and connectivity.”
A meeting point for the community, the Connection Plaza contains
amenities including retail and restaurants, hosts cultural and art
events, connects to last mile transportation services with bike and
scooter charging stations, and has parks and fountains to provide an
asset to the surrounding neighborhood. To encourage a pedestrian
connection on the ground floor, parking and charging facilities are
moved below grade while dedicated vehicular access and Uber
Pick-up/Drop-off zones keep traffic flows seamless.
The Uber Lobby is the first touchpoint between the passenger and
UberAir. There, reception services help passengers customize their
experience while biometric ticket and security validation clear
passengers in under one minute before they ascend to the Quick Queue
Lounge on the elevated Flight Deck. Two touchdown and lift off pads and
five eVTOL staging and charging stations on the Flight Deck efficiently
and precisely choreograph the movement of eVTOLS as passengers move
through dedicated pathways and transitions for safe and easy navigation.
Designed to integrate into existing highway networks, Corgan’s concept
not only mitigates noise by taking advantage of existing noise
corridors, but also repurposes these familiar, underutilized frameworks
as community serving assets. Activating the areas around and underneath
highways, the design connects communities with a light-filled
amenity-rich landmark with last mile ground connections, bike/scooter
stations, restaurants, retail, coworking and entrepreneurial
makerspaces, and Greenlight Hubs to support Uber employees.
Scalable and Operationally Feasible
CONNECT | EVOLVED is a practical system of modular, customizable
components to be built according to the demands for urban air mobility,
needs of the site, and development budget. The modular design can be
expanded—adding additional landing and parking pads, retail, and
activity spaces with minimal additional development and providing for
ease of construction with components that can be fabricated off-site.
The flexible Flight Deck is compatible with several eVTOLs on the market
and can adapt to advancements in the evolution of eVTOL flight.
Likewise, the design considers the maintenance and use of eVTOLs and
regulation of low-altitude airspace to minimize intrusion on the
community and infrastructure without impacting or prohibiting future
development.
Connected and Convenient
The design integrates into existing transportation networks including
FAA established “skylanes” located over major roads, rivers, and
highways—mitigating noise in high density air traffic areas through
established noise corridors and providing visual references for
navigation. Accessible to last-mile ground connections such as electric
scooters and bikes, on-demand fleet services, and light rail, the Hub
anchors public activity as a community destination with a programmatic
mix of restaurants, grocery, retail, sport courts, and facilities for
local entrepreneurship. Where highways and railroads have previously
divided communities, CONNECT | EVOLVED stitches together the urban
fabric with a lasting community asset throughout the day and for
multiple lifestyles.
Sustainable
The design utilizes innovative water management systems, air
purification methods and on-site energy generation. Energy-use
technologies include a “solar skin” and technology in the floors to
harness kinetic energy of visitors. Publicly accessible greenspaces
including parks, playgrounds and urban farms also reduce the heat island
effect in cities. Injecting light under highways and the Flight Deck, an
array of heliostat solar collectors reflect light below during the day
and harvest sunlight to create soft, ambient illumination during the
evening.
DFW Location/Site Selection
Corgan selected sites for their design in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, a
primary launch market for Uber Air. As with many metropolitan areas,
Dallas and its surrounding suburbs experience daily population
fluctuations due to commuters and visitors moving between downtown and
the suburbs. Downtown Dallas, bound by a series of highway barriers, has
an opportunity to not only connect tourists but neighbors and residents
that were formerly separated by dividing, intrusive infrastructure.
Navigating this multi-layered third dimension changes the function and
expectations of our daily destinations, requiring the Skyport and
emerging typology to support a cohesive relationship between the human,
the eVTOL, and the urban fabric. Most importantly, it addresses the
greater needs of the surrounding communities, striking a balance between
benefits and disturbances to become a true neighborhood amenity—adding a
new value perspective to our existing infrastructure and reconnecting
our once divided communities.
John Trupiano presented Corgan’s CONNECT | EVOLVED design at the third
annual Uber Elevate Summit on June 12. For more information, visit here.
ABOUT CORGAN
Corgan is a leading architecture and design firm with a human-centered
approach, a deep technical experience and a reputation for great service
to our clients, our people and our communities. Consistently ranked as
one of the top five architecture firms, we listen to our clients and
transform their insights into structures and spaces that inspire, inform
and innovate. For eight decades, Corgan has developed special expertise
in aviation, commercial, critical facilities, education, healthcare and
interior design projects. Our approach to all these spaces is singular:
to create unique environments where our clients thrive. For more
information visit corgan.com.
Contacts
Punam Shallenberger, 214-977-3548
Communications Manager
[email protected]
-OR-
Elizabeth
Pierce, 214-748-2000
Principal
[email protected]
