PHL USO Lounge Wins Architectural Project of the Year

Arora Engineers (Arora) is proud to share that the newly relocated USO Lounge at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) has been honored with the Architectural Project of the Year Award at the 2026 NEC/AAAE Airports Conference.

The award recognizes the successful delivery of the modernized 2,830-square-foot lounge in the Terminal D–E Connector at PHL, designed to provide military service members and their families with a welcoming place to rest and recharge while traveling.

As prime design-builder, Arora led the relocation and full interior fit-out of the lounge, delivering programming, design, permitting, construction administration, MEP, fire life safety, and special systems engineering within an active airport environment.

Presented annually at the NEC/AAAE Airports Conference, the Architectural Project of the Year Award celebrates excellence in aviation architectural design, project delivery, and stakeholder collaboration. This recognition reflects the strong partnership between MarketPlace PHL, the Division of Aviation, TSA, and the broader project team.

We are honored to see this project recognized among the region’s leading aviation architectural achievements and proud of the team who brought it to life.

Learn more about the full USO Lounge project at PHL here!