William P Hobby Airport

Introduction

Boasting the only 5-Star rated airport throughout North America, William P. Hobby Airport achieved the rating in the Skytrax World Airport Star Rating for 2022. Airports are rated between a 1-Star and 5-Star level following a detailed audit analysis of facilities and staff service to customers across all front-line areas of the airport environment.

The international rating organization highlighted the airport’s “wide range of substantial guest experience upgrades to the terminal interiors, passenger facilities, and customer service initiatives.” Recent improvements include a new children’s play area, state-of-the-art restroom facilities, and modern signage and information systems.

The  Story

For the restroom renovations, the Houston Airport System partnered with PGAL architects to develop an updated aesthetic for the more than 6.4 million annual passengers. The flooring solution for the restrooms needed to not only fit the style but also have superior technical performance for high-traffic areas with easy maintenance. Crossville Porcelain Tile Panels by Laminam was a creative flooring solution that met the renovation’s pragmatic and aesthetic demands. Thanks to the thin format of the porcelain tile panels, the new space exhibits a sleek, modern style with minimal grout lines, ideal for travelers pulling luggage.

The primary tile panels on the restroom floors, Fokos Sale, lighten and brighten the previously dark space. Additionally, the team installed a combination of Fokos Piombo and Fokos Fumo as offset rectangles near the handwashing areas, pulling the eye to the sinks in a wayfinding path. Factory cuts allowed for the two-color patterning with squares and rectangles. 

For the walls, the team again chose a complimentary Fokos color series that was installed horizontally as full-size panels, providing a darker element near the floor and a lighter color at eye level.

The PGAL design team worked closely with Crossville Studios-Houston in coordinating the porcelain tile panel selection for the special order and stock colors to create interest in the newly opened and renovated space.