Golden 1 Center in Sacramento Receives LEED Platinum Certification
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) certified Golden 1 Center, the new downtown home of the Sacramento Kings on Sept. 22. as LEED Platinum, the highest level of global recognition an environmentally-efficient building or organization can receive.
At 63,000 square feet, the entire arena uses solar energy to power its facilities while promoting public transportation to visitors. According to a statement from the Sacramento Kings, Golden 1 Center will be the first indoor venue in the world to receive the LEED Platinum certification. Through this, the venue can show what environmental leadership looks like to an estimated 1.2 million visitors each year at over 200 different events.
“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,” said Kings owner and chairman Vivek Ranadivé, 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.”
AECOM, headquartered in Los Angeles, designed the project alongside Greenwood Village, Colo.-based ICON Venue Group as the project manager and Greenwood Village, Colo.-based Turner Construction as the lead builder. The center cost over $507 million to construct. According to a statement from Golden 1 Center, all architectural design work will occur in Sacramento to ensure local input can be added into the design process. Construction began in fall 2014 and Golden 1 Center will be officially complete by next month.
Besides the use of solar power throughout the entire building, Golden 1 Center will use regionally sourced materials like glass, recycled aluminum, precast concrete and limestone to build the facility. Golden 1 Center will also utilize only Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-Certified wood, an international standard of quality and responsible forest management, according to a statement from Golden 1 Center.
Other green building elements include; a mass transit hub, bicycle valet, electric vehicle charging stations, designated food bank donation stations, hydroponic gardens that can be used to grow food for consumption on site, temperature controls that utilize Sacramento’s sunshine and warm weather.
“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,” said Ranadivé in a statement.
Besides sustainable building elements, Golden 1 Center is stocked with the latest technological innovations designed to make the center an interactive experience for everyone involved. Technological features include; outward-facing windows and balconies and bi-fold aircraft hangar doors that open and close to make the building seem more welcoming. The center also features an interactive check-in station that offers post-game information about the Sacramento Kings and their events.
By putting sustainability and environmental-efficiency at the forefront of design, Golden 1 Center has created a space for fans to enjoy large-scale events without harming the environment.