LEED Certification: Whole New Ball Game

Part 1: Philips Arena Achieves LEED Certification

Part 2: Sports Arenas Pose Maintenance and Engineering Challenges

Part 3: LEED Certification: Hardscape Management and Water-Conservation Strategies

Part 4: HVAC, Lighting Retrofits Fuel Arena's LEED Certification

Part 5: Arena Hires LEED AP During Certification Process

Arena Hires LEED AP During Certification Process

By Chris Matt, Managing Editor - Print & E-Media - August 2009 - Maintenance & Operations

Innovation in Operations. To earn a point in this category, the arena worked with Southface, an Atlanta non-profit LEED Accredited Professional that promotes sustainable business practices.

“(Southface has) a knowledge of the workings of the USGBC,” Henson says. “When we’re trying to adapt some of our policies, you can sit down with the manual and say, ‘It says to do this.’ But you can miss a very important, key part of that manual in your process, and it’s all for naught.”

Because the arena was the first existing NBA or NHL facility to achieve certification, Henson knew Southface could help streamline the process and achieve the arena’s green goals.

Says Henson, “It’s a daunting process, but it’s a rewarding process. It’s brought to light a lot of things that in the future, looking at things in a more green and sustainable way is the first way we’ll look at it.”