BAA plc (formerly British Airports Authority) owns seven UK airports including the world’s busiest international airport, Heathrow. It also has management contracts or stakes in 11 airports outside the UK plus retail contracts at two US airports. BAA is at the heart of the world’s transport network. Every year it takes responsibility for nearly 200 million passengers travelling through its airports.

BAA is currently building a fifth terminal at Heathrow on a tight site which will necessitate a complex building on two levels above a transport interchange. When complete, Terminal 5 will be Europe’s largest airport terminal and BAA intends the facility to be an exemplar of good design practice that is inclusive of all needs. The project therefore used plans for Heathrow Terminal 5 as a test site for design research, as well as other Heathrow environments to study existing operational parameters and interact with users.