EDDIE IZZARD

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
BY CHRIS DE VOLDER
The Recreation and Wellness Center in Auburn, Alabama, US, breaks boundaries with its figure-8, suspended running track and communal spaces
GOOD SPORTS
Chris DeVolder, sustainable design leader at architects HOK, explores how designing
sustainable sports venues improves communities – and the bottom line
Hundreds of years ago, a sports
facility served as a city’s hub.
It occupied the main public
square or area where citizens
assembled to support civic
activities and housed functions including
hospitality, food and retail.
Then, in the mid-20th century, many
new sports venues were built outside
cities’ central business districts. These
facilities were often surrounded by
parking space and focused on a single use,
resulting in disconnection the city’s dayto-day
life and infrastructure.
Today, many new sports facilities are
returning to city centres as part of sportsoriented,
mixed-use developments. There’s
a focus on engaging residents, daytime
workers and visitors every day of the week
– not just on game or match days.
Developers of arenas in cities including
Edmonton and Detroit are following the
successful model of the Kansas City Power
& Light District and the Nationwide Arena
District in Columbus, which integrate
sports, entertainment, retail, office and
residential. These projects promote
related development and maximise return
on investment while creating vibrant,
sustainable urban communities.
As well as economic sustainability,
design strategies related to the site and
landscape, and things such as transportation,
materials and resources, energy and
Chris DeVolder
the indoor environment, can help facility
operators minimise impact on the environment
while improving the bottom line.
Husky Stadium, Seattle
When it comes to HOK’s work, the renovation
and expansion of the University of
Washington’s Husky Stadium in Seattle, US
is an example of how client organisations,
designers and facility operators can collaborate
to create a venue which is both
beautiful and sustainable. The new design
preserves the history of the 1920 stadium
and its sweeping views of Lake Washington
and the Cascade Mountains while
transforming it into a state-of-the-art,
70,000-seat venue.
Low-flow plumbing fixtures, dualflush
toilets and native landscaping have
reduced water use in the building by 40
per cent, while strategies implemented in
the design and operations divert 75 per
cent of the waste from Husky Stadium.
This is achieved through the strategic
placement of recycling and compost
receptacles and the ability of the building’s
loading dock to accommodate composting
and multiple recycling containers. There
is also a buffer of trees and shrubs which
separates the stadium from the wetlands.
Husky Stadium has received Salmon
Safe certification through the Pacific
Rivers Council, which recognised its
pollution capture, stormwater capture and
construction activity pollution reduction
strategies. It also won the inaugural
Sustainability Award from the National
Association of Collegiate Directors of
Athletics and USG Corporation.
MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
Elsewhere, the 82,500-seat MetLife
Stadium is the only US stadium to
house two NFL franchises and provides
unparalleled flexibility in accommodating
the needs and personalities of the New
York Giants and Jets teams.
Through a partnership with the design
and construction team and the US
Environmental Protection Agency, the
project has achieved cost savings of
50
sportsmanagement.co.uk issue 4 2015 © Cybertrek 2015