Best of the Best: Portland International Airport - Gene Sandoval An airport that transforms your layover into a serene stroll through the forest—that’s the quiet magic evoked by Portland International Airport. The main terminal’s expansion, unveiled last year, is a product of design led by Oregon-based Filipino architect Gene Sandoval. PDX is often cited as one of the best airports in the U.S., with The Washington Post recently naming it the top airport in the country. Sandoval’s childhood in Palawan shaped his appreciation for nature, with a creative sensibility inspired by his family’s boat-building legacy. “When I moved to Oregon, I saw the forests and the local timber industry as this amazing natural resource—and I saw the opportunity to leverage it,” he shares. “The design concept for PDX was inspired by a walk in a Pacific Northwest forest. It’s really like a rite of passage.” Oregon’s timber industry was tapped..
