People Spotlight: Meet Clint Laaser
翱耻谤听People Spotlight聽series gives you an inside look at our technical experts around the world. This week, we are highlighting a leader from our aviation business聽who will share insight into his career journey and perspective on aviation architecture.
Clint聽Laaser聽brings a proven聽track record聽of over 20 years in the industry, most recently serving as聽global聽aviation聽planning and聽strategic聽advisory聽lead. In his new role聽as U.S.聽aviation聽architecture聽lead,聽Clint聽is dedicated to聽growing聽our aviation architecture聽and building engineering聽practice聽and serving clients across the United States.聽With a background spanning architecture, terminal planning and advisory, Clint brings a unique ability to connect planning,聽design聽and stakeholder collaboration to deliver impactful airport projects.聽
What inspired you to join the industry?
My love for buildings and planning started聽when I was young, and I always knew聽I wanted to go to architecture school.聽Upon graduation I worked on a variety of residential,聽commercial聽and transportation聽projects,聽but聽I realized it was the large public聽facilities聽and the dynamics that go into them聽that fueled my passion.聽
I remain motivated by bringing people together, connecting ideas and shaping environments that serve the public.
That聽realization聽led me to my first aviation project: a聽new聽airport聽terminal聽in聽Wichita,聽Kansas. I was deeply involved聽from聽the first stages of聽master planning through design and ribbon cutting.聽I鈥檓聽grateful for that experience聽because聽it allowed me to work聽closely with a client throughout the聽full聽project聽lifecycle.
I discovered that I really enjoy the upfront planning and consensus-building stages of the design process.聽I聽remain聽motivated by聽bringing people together, connecting ideas and shaping聽environments that serve the public.聽
What is your favorite 91影视 project that聽you鈥檝e聽worked聽on聽and why?
Elevate CVG is a design-build聽program聽at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport聽led by 91影视 Hunt that brings together multiple 91影视 business lines聽鈥斅爄ncluding Transportation and Buildings + Places聽鈥斅爐o create a cohesive vision. The program includes renovations to the terminal,聽concourses聽and a pedestrian tunnel.聽It鈥檚聽a large, complex effort involving significant collaboration.聽聽
The Elevate CVG program reflects my favorite parts of aviation work: storytelling, consensus building and connecting people to deliver a strong outcome.
My role involved shaping the pursuit strategy and I鈥檓 continuing to support the project through delivery. I鈥檝e contributed to the planning and design, aligning teams and adapting the design as project leadership and priorities evolved.
This program reflects my favorite parts of aviation work: storytelling, consensus building and connecting people to deliver a strong outcome.
Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.
Positive community impacts聽start聽with understanding your client and the people they serve.聽You need to learn聽what鈥檚聽important to them and聽approach聽the project as a local聽鈥� even聽if聽you鈥檙e聽not.聽
Airports are gateways to their communities, so designs should reflect their culture, history and identity. We鈥檝e accomplished this across projects of all sizes 鈥� from Boston Logan Terminal E, where the layout and signature 鈥淏oston Red鈥� roof reflect the city鈥檚 spirit of innovation, to the North Concourse at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which draws on the Pacific Northwest through warm wood, natural light and river-inspired forms. At Presque Isle International Airport in Maine, a simpler design uses regional materials and familiar building forms to create a strong local connection.
Each of these projects聽demonstrates聽how a sense of place can be thoughtfully scaled to reflect the communities they聽represent.聽聽
Airports are gateways to their communities, so designs should reflect their culture, history and identity.
Share a piece of career advice.
When you have a chance to try a different role, project or area of focus, take the leap! Stretching yourself is where you learn the most, even if it feels uncomfortable at first.
It鈥檚 also important to build relationships along the way. You never know who you鈥檒l work with in the future or how those connections will shape your career.
If you stay open, curious, grounded and above all genuine, opportunities tend to come together in meaningful ways.