A masterclass in masterplanning — LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AOTEAROA

Keflavík Airport in Iceland has revealed a comprehensive K64 masterplan which aims to invigorate and reimagine the area surrounding its airfield, from carefully planned communities to afforested protected parklands.

The masterplan has been developed by a multidisciplinary team led by KCAP, including WSP, FELIXX, MIC-HUB, VSO Consulting, Buck Consultants International, Buro Happold, Base Design, Maurits Schaafsma, and Kanon Arkitektar.

The airport masterplan aims to invigorate and reimagine the area surrounding its airfield. Image credit - © KCAP, © Felixx, © MIC-KCAP © PLOMP

It is not a plan for a new runway or a greatly expanded terminal but is squarely focussed on well designed communities, sustainable economic development, and the strategic use of green space to minimise the airport’s impact.

“To sustain the K64 initiative over time, urban design, landscape and mobility strategies intertwine in an ecosystem that connects, protects, and enhances while supporting activity and population and employment growth,” say the designers.

Keflavik Airport site. Image credit - © KCAP, © Felixx, © MIC-KCAP © PLOMP

K64 aims to coordinate development of residential communities, commercial zones, and the natural environment of the Suðurnes peninsula, where the airport itself is situated. This is not a sudden strategy to reinvent the region quickly, but rather an incremental one to more naturally develop the area over time. The intention is to keep urban areas compact, so the vast parklands can be harnessed to protect residential and commercial settlements.

“The urban framework is preventing sprawl by proposing compact urban development anchored on the existing build-up context,” says the design team.

Image credit - © KCAP, © Felixx, © MIC-KCAP © PLOMP

The creation of an expansive ‘peninsula park’ will eventually aid in keeping airport noise to a minimum, employing sculpted landscapes and afforestation strategically. This reflects the Airport’s responsibility to surrounding residents using the expertise of Felixx and also addresses key commitments made by the Icelandic Government to use afforestation to crystallise climate objectives.

“In the face of global warming, reforesting the country’s territory has become a priority of the Icelandic government. Afforestation is recognized as a key strategy to address the increased impact of wind erosion and a crucial instrument to meet the Icelandic climate goals,” says the team.

Afforestation is a critical part of the master plan because forests were a more prominent feature of the Icelandic natural environment, more than a millennium ago. The afforestation efforts actually restore a key natural feature, beyond meeting climate commitments and enhancing green space for the population.

“Nowadays, Iceland is one of Europe’s least wooded countries, but in ancient times large forests covered the coastline area. The country lost most of its trees more than a thousand years ago.”

It is also worth mentioning that Iceland’s rocky landscapes and rugged coastline are often the result of erosion events, partially due ancient deforestation efforts by the Vikings. This landscape strategy on the Suðurnes Peninsula will help to prevent future erosion, and righting very early historical wrongs when it comes to Iceland’s natural environment.

The restoration of depleted natural environments does not have to come at the expense of increased human activities, that’s what makes this project stand out. Once the later stages of the project come to a conclusion, the reforested landscape will more closely resemble a pre-Viking iceland, while simultaneously supporting vibrant residential and commercial hubs through regeneration of existing settlements.

The airport’s connected developments. Image credit - © KCAP, © Felixx, © MIC-KCAP © PLOMP

“On the southern edge of the airport, Ásbrú is thought to become a campus-like area, fostering aviation activities and R&D, start-up programmes, light industries and most of all an ambitious residential densification, that turns the former NATO settlement into a neighborhood in its own right, a modern take on the cosy, lively village.”

Within the multidisciplinary master plan, Felixx is responsible for the landscape strategies outlined above. These strategies link the ecological and natural aims of the project with the construction of sustainable residential and commercial precincts, ensuring a harmonious experience for residents and visitors alike.

Airports around the world are known for investing in their surroundings, Keflavík airport has gone further than most airport development projects, creating a plan that supports developments of economic, social, and ecological improvement for the region in the long term.