The Golden 1 Center, the new home arena of the Sacramento Kings, became the first indoor venue in the world to be certified as LEED Platinum — the highest level of recognition for environmentally conscious buildings.
The Golden 1 Center earned the highest score for a sports venue in the LEED program, according AECOM, which designed the arena. It placed in the top three percent of all buildings certified.
“Our hope in creating Golden 1 Center was to help drive meaningful change in our community – which includes working to curb climate change and promote renewable energy,” Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé said in a statement. “Businesses, including large sports franchises, have a core responsibility to help facilitate the world’s clean energy transition so that we can better protect the health and environment of future generations. The 1.2 million people who will pass through our doors each year will see first hand how adopting the best sustainability practices can improve the fan experience.”
Ranadivé told the Sacramento Bee that the status shows that the arena is a “platform for good.” Sustainability features of the arena include gigantic hangar doors above the grand entrance of the arena that can open and allow the arena to naturally cool. Solar power generated from the arena’s roof provide all the building’s power in sunny Sacramento.
“We worked with the Kings to design Golden 1 Center for fans, city and planet,” Bill Hanway, AECOM’s global sports leader, said in a statement. “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 revitalizing downtown Sacramento and setting a new global standard for sustainability.”
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The arena’s downtown location also makes it accessible by Amtrak, bike, bus, light rail, and walking. According to the team, that means an average reduction of average miles traveled per attendee by 20 percent, cutting air emissions by 24 percent. Ninety percent of Golden 1 Center’s food and beverage concessions will come from local businesses and farms within 150 miles of the arena.
The team even made the court in part with recycled athletic shoes through collections of players and fans alike.
“California has more green buildings than any other state in the nation and Sacramento’s new arena is an example of the elegant design and construction we need to meet our ambitious climate goals,” California governor Jerry Brown said in a statement.