Falcons Stadium Showcases Sustainable Construction

ATLANTA — Atlanta’s new Falcons Stadium is two years away from completion, but already it’s becoming known for its sustainable efforts.

The new stadium is seeking LEED Platinum certification when construction is expected to be complete in March 2017. Atlanta’s stadium is boasting that it will incorporate the latest in sustainable advancements related to design, construction and operations.

To preserve natural resources, the use of building materials with high recycled content will be utilized to the maximum extent available, including products purchased from local and regional sources, according to the project’s website.

The stadium operations plan also calls for recycling or composting any applicable waste materials and continually working toward eliminating all wastes.

The stadium is also keeping water conservation in mind. The stadium design and operating plans anticipate the achievement of all LEED water-related credits, a first for any sports facility. This includes water use efficiency and rainwater capture and reuse.

Even more green features will be included in the stadium, with the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, which will be installed on the stadium site and the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) campus. The new Falcons Stadium is located directly south of the current GWCC campus.

Another sustainable facet to the new stadium is what is being called an “open stadium” operational approach to the facility. This approach provides opportunities to use natural light and outside air to reduce energy usage. In addition, building control systems will manage and monitor energy consumption including lighting and heating/cooling use, and LED lighting will reduce energy usage by as much as 50 percent.

Visitors to the stadium might appreciate its effort to provide transit access with three MARTA rail line stations within less than a mile of the facility. The new stadium property layout also encourages use of bicycle and alternative fuel vehicle usage through direct connection to the Atlanta Bike Trail Network and the availability of electric vehicle charging stations. In addition, pedestrian-friendly walking paths allow for easy connectivity between the communities on the west side of the stadium and the downtown area to the east.

Perhaps one of the most notable efforts toward sustainability is a first-of-its-kind circular LED video display designed by Daktronics of Brookings, S.D. Totaling approximately 63,800 square feet, the non-traditional LED video display will be more than five stories high and three times as large as the current largest single display board in the NFL. It’s referred to as the “halo” board, and it’s a design that’s first in any stadium worldwide. Built into the new Atlanta stadium’s unique retractable roof structure, the halo board will be positioned above the center of the field and will measure approximately 58 feet high by 1,100 feet in circumference.

“The LED video halo board Daktronics is building for the new Atlanta stadium is a game changer in every way,” said Atlanta Falcons President & CEO Rich McKay in a statement. “Our goal at the outset was to reimagine the stadium experience, and the halo board is consistent with this vision. It’s a display that has never been created before with the latest technology, and we are thrilled that Daktronics is helping us to deliver this unique experience to our fans and guests.”