Credit: AECOM

We worked with the Kings to design a stadium for fans, city and planet
– Bill Hanway, AECOM global sports leader

The new California home of US National Basketball Association franchise the Sacramento Kings has become the first indoor sports venue to achieve LEED Platinum certification.

The US$507m (£336m, €476m) Golden 1 Center, which will host its first preseason fixture on 10 October, is the highest-scoring stadium ever certified by the US Green Building Council – the body that oversees the LEED system. It is also among the top three per cent of all buildings granted LEED certification.

The downtown Sacramento arena – described by AECOM as “the arena of the future” – features giant aircraft-hangar doors that can open to the cooling breeze and a public plaza with water-saving gardens. The facility completely runs on solar power and uses 45 per cent less water and 30 per cent less energy than demanded by California regulations.

Other sustainable features include a “first-of-its-kind” displacement ventilation system, which saves energy and improves fan comfort by delivering conditioned air directly beneath the stadium’s seats. Spectators can control the temperature through an app on their phones.

During the building process, 36 per cent of construction materials came from recycled sources, 95 per cent of construction waste was diverted and 99 per cent of demolition materials were recycled.

Additionally, 90 per cent of food and beverage concessions are sourced from within 150 miles in order to limit carbon footprint. Spectators have been encouraged to travel to games by bike, bus, on foot or via light rail, and will be asked to provide crowdsourced feedback about how energy consumption can be minimised further.

“From the beginning, we’ve strived to be the greenest team, representing a region that embraces conservation and care for the environment,” said Sacramento Kings president Chris Granger. “Golden 1 Center will stand out as a global model for how businesses, communities and designers can think about the environment in innovative and intelligent ways, without compromising quality and comfort.”

AECOM’s global sports leader, architect Bill Hanway, added: “We worked with the Kings to design a stadium for fans, city and planet. Our architects, sports designers, sustainability experts, engineers, urban planners and landscape architects worked together from the beginning to shape an indoor-outdoor arena that is revitalising downtown Sacramento and setting a new global standard for sustainability.”

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