International Greenscapes
International Greenscapes designed and fabricated a series of 25-foot custom-engineered sequoia trees for Fresno Yosemite International Airport, wrapping existing structural columns to transform the concourse into an immersive forest trail. The project earned the ADEX Platinum Award in 2011 for architectural design excellence.
Fabricated and assembled by NATUREMAKER®, an International Greenscapes company.
Detail | Specification |
Project | Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Fresno, CA |
Product Type | Custom-Engineered Sequoia Trees with Pine Saplings and Understory Plantings |
Brand | NATUREMAKER® |
Industry | Airport / Transit |
Environment | Interior |
Scale | 25-foot column-clad sequoias with full forest trail understory |
Special Features | Column-clad engineering wrapping existing structural columns; immersive understory of boulders, native plantings, and interpretive signage; ADEX Platinum Award 2011 |
Fresno Yosemite International Airport serves as the gateway to Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks, but the terminal concourse did not reflect that identity. Exposed structural columns dominated the space, and the interior lacked a sense of place that connected travelers to the surrounding landscape.
The airport needed a solution that could reference the region’s iconic giant sequoias at monumental scale while working within the constraints of an active terminal: strict fire safety codes, 24/7 foot traffic, aggressive HVAC systems, and zero tolerance for the ongoing maintenance burden of live trees. Live plantings had no viable path in this environment.
International Greenscapes designed, fabricated, and assembled a series of custom-sculpted sequoia trees that rise 25 feet through the concourse. Built on welded steel armatures composed of 75% recycled steel, each tree was custom-engineered specifically to wrap the terminal’s existing structural columns, a technique known as column-cladding. The steel cores are designed to meet International Building Code (IBC) seismic categories D, E, and F, ensuring structural integrity in California’s seismically active Central Valley.
The trunk surfaces were sculpted by NATUREMAKER® artisans using silicone molds taken from real sequoia specimens, then hand-carved with species-specific knots, burls, and bark fissures. Multiple translucent color layers were applied using polychromatic glazing, creating the depth and organic variation found in living bark. All foliage uses UltraLeaf-IFR® inherently fire-retardant polymers, certified to ASTM E84 Class A flame spread and smoke development ratings, NFPA 701, and California Title 19, meeting the stringent fire codes required for public assembly spaces.
Sapling pine trees, sculpted boulders, native plantings, and interpretive signage that narrates the natural history of the region. The result is not a row of trees but a forest trail experience that passengers walk through on their way to and from gates.
The concourse project earned the ADEX Platinum Award in 2011, one of the most respected honors in architectural design excellence, with judges recognizing NATUREMAKER® as “a leading creator” of authentic preserved and artificial trees worldwide. The trees require only occasional dusting for maintenance and have served the airport continuously since their original assembly, with no irrigation, no pest control, and no seasonal replacement.
Six custom-crafted 30-foot Queen Palms assembled at Sunset Cove, softening the modern stainless-steel terminal interiors and echoing the coastal palms visible through the terminal windows.
An 18-foot NATUREMAKER® oak tree crowning the circular bar at Kitchen Step Restaurant in Terminal A, flanked by 10-foot birch trees and sculptural planting walls as part of the terminal’s reimagining.
International Greenscapes has designed and assembled artificial trees and plants for more than a dozen airports across the United States, including San Diego International, Newark Liberty International, Orlando International, Myrtle Beach International, and John Wayne Airport.
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