General Aviation terminal at SGF Wins Top Architectural Award

Midwest Premier is now an award-winning general aviation facility.

Springfield-Branson National Airport received the 2025 General Aviation Project of the Year - Architectural Award, presented by the Great Lakes Chapter of American Association of Airport Executives. This honor recognizes outstanding architectural design and construction in general aviation for the Midwest Premier Restoration Project, completed in October 2024.

Since 1990, the General Aviation terminal has supported the needs of private and corporate air travel in the Ozarks as a Fixed Based Operation. But as the Springfield metro and economy grew, so did the need for improved general aviation facilities.

“We weren’t looking for good, we wanted SGF to be great for our corporate and private passengers,” said Dave Schaumburg, assistant director of aviation, who also served as the airport’s project manager. “With the help of Dake Wells Architecture and Nabholz Corporation, Midwest Premier accomplished that goal.”

SGF took an innovative approach to Midwest Premier’s construction by utilizing a Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR). The airport and its CMAR, along with the architecture design team, designed the GA Terminal to reflect high-end amenities and practical upgrades needed at the facility. With this unique collaboration, the CMAR recommended a material swap that saved the project $1.1 million, without sacrificing its stunning overall visual impact.

“Dake Wells certainly shares the Airport’s excitement for this award for General Aviation Project of the Year,” said Brandon White, aia, BIM manager at Dake Wells Architecture. “We were honored to be selected by SGF to help bring the vision of a reimagined FBO to life – one that introduces air travelers to the community and region where we live, work and that we love. This award recognizes the partnerships that made it happen."