South Burlington, VT – PC Construction announced that work is underway on a 355,000sf manufacturing facility for BETA Technologies, located on a 40-acre brownfield redevelopment on the south side of Burlington International Airport (BTV).
Known as the South 40 Campus, the facility will be an environmentally sustainable state-of-the-art campus for final assembly of the company’s electric aircraft. The campus will include a manufacturing facility, general aviation hangar, training and cultural center, mixed office/retail building, and a childcare facility, all underpinned by open space and designed for interconnectivity via new roads and pedestrian paths.
“We are so pleased to be partnering with BETA Technologies to bring this state-of-the-art facility to Vermont. This expansion will support the manufacture of BETA’s first all-electric aircraft. Having that kind of ingenuity and groundbreaking work taking place right in our backyard is just incredible and we are excited to put our expertise to work to help them achieve their vision,” said Matt Cooke, president and CEO of PC Construction.
Aerial site map
Sustainability is a focus of the S40 building design. In addition to its core function as a space to build net-zero aircraft, the entire facility is nearly net-zero emissions powered by a mix of renewable energy sources including a 2.2-acre solar array, 500 geothermal wells to provide the primary heating and cooling for the building, and 100% electrified systems. It is predicted that the building will consume half as much energy when compared to a typical building of this size that meets baseline ASHRAE standards.
Other features will include using gray water for toilets and irrigation, drawn from a 40,000 gallon rainwater tank; high efficiency lights that mimic the behavior of the sun; using Aero Aggregates (made from recycled glass aggregates) in lieu of standard foam insulation, providing a more efficient insulation system with a higher R-value; and the installation of electric vehicle charging stations throughout the campus.
Material lead times presented a challenge on this project. In one instance, the PC Construction team identified early in construction that the lead time for traditional joists was way too long and that supply was nearly impossible to obtain. As a result, PC brought in experts from Lainco, Inc. and created a unique design-build contract to creatively engineer the building’s structure with its proprietary truss system.
The project will include increased access to bike lanes along Route 2, improved access for public transportation infrastructure, and the addition of nature trails. The architectural team on the project includes Stantec and local architect Vermont Studios, comprised of team members from Studio III Architecture and Scott + Partners Architecture.
Once operational, BETA Technologies will invite the community to explore its vision of electric aviation through facility tours and various educational opportunities. The project is expected to be completed later this year.
