Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center named 2017 Golden State Award Winner by the American Council of Engineering Companies, California
ACEC California named Sacramento’s Golden 1 Center as its 2017 Golden State Award Winner for its exceptional and unique sustainable design features. The Golden 1 Center – home of the National Basketball Association’s Sacramento Kings – was designed by AECOM in association with Henderson Engineering, Inc. and is the first indoor sports arena in the world to achieve LEED platinum certification. The Golden State Award is the highest honor ACEC California bestows as part of its Engineering Excellence Awards program.
“Golden 1 Center is a dynamic example of how engineers and designers can create a structure that movingly captures the pride, the culture, and the priorities of a community. AECOM and Henderson Engineering should be very proud of their contribution to the City of Sacramento and we could not be more pleased to recognize the unique and environmentally innovative concepts implemented throughout this impressive project,” said Brad Diede, Executive Director of ACEC California.
“Golden 1 Center is the first of a new generation of sports arenas, setting a new global standard for sustainable design and performance. We’re proud to see AECOM, a member of Green Sports Alliance, realize this achievement.” – Justin Zeulner, executive director, Green Sports Alliance. Image courtesy of AECOM and caption courtesy of AECOM’s Fact Sheet.*
With a specific focus on sustainability, the arena contains several groundbreaking features that were designed to reduce energy use and harness Sacramento’s natural environment. Such features include: five-story high aircraft-hangar doors that open to the city and the natural cooling of the Sacramento Delta breeze; and a first-of-its-kind displacement ventilation system that saves energy and improves comfort by delivering conditioned air directly beneath the seats – even allowing fans to influence the temperature through an app on their cell phones.
According to an AECOM press release September 2016, the key sustainability metrics for Golden 1 Center include:
- First 100% solar-powered professional sports venue
- 45 percent reduction in water use over stringent California code
- 30 percent reduction in energy use over stringent California Title 24 code
- 2,000 fewer tons of annual carbon emissions
- 99 percent of demolition materials recycled
- 95 percent of construction waste diverted
- 36 percent of construction materials from recycled sources
- 30 percent of construction materials from regional sources
- 90 percent of food and beverage concessions sourced from within 150 miles
- First venue to solicit crowdsourced feedback to maximize fan comfort and minimize energy consumption
- Largest onsite bike valet program at a sports venue
“This was always about way more than an arena. It was about giving the city of Sacramento a new heart—giving them their downtown back.” – Jon Niemuth, Americas sports leader, AECOM. Image courtesy of AECOM and caption courtesy of AECOM’s Fact Sheet.*
Beyond sustainability, the building is designed to provide fans with an unprecedented entertainment experience. The seating bowl puts over 60 percent of the fans close to the action in the lower bowl, while the hangar doors and unique indoor-outdoor atmosphere reflect the regional lifestyle. Golden 1 Center will demonstrate environmental leadership to an estimated 1.2 million visitors each year at over 200 events. The building has earned the highest score for a sports venue in the LEED program and placed in the top three percent of all LEED certified buildings. AECOM’s role on the project included architecture, engineering (MEP, structural, civil and high-performance buildings), programming, interior design, environmental design, urban planning, landscape design and sustainability consulting.
About ACEC California’s Engineering Excellence Awards
ACEC California’s annual Engineering Excellence Awards competition recognizes outstanding achievements in engineering and land surveying projects completed by California firms. In 2017, 18 Honor Awards were granted to 12 firms, with an additional 20 Merit Awards granted to 11 firms. Honor Award winning projects will be recognized with photographic panels on display outside of the Governor’s office, and are eligible to enter ACEC’s national level Engineering Excellence Awards competition in Washington, D.C. The full list of Honor and Merit Award winning projects can be found at www.EngineeringCA.com.
ACEC California is a statewide association representing over 950 private consulting engineering and land-surveying firms that average 20 employees each. ACEC California is dedicated to enhancing the consulting engineering and land surveying professions, protecting the general public and promoting the use of the private sector in the growth and development of our state. Our members provide services for all phases of planning, designing and constructing projects. For more information, visit www.acec-ca.org.
*Editor’s note: All images are AECOM design renderings http://www.aecom.com/golden1center/. All captions are from the AECOM’s Fact Sheet – Golden 1 Center: Designed for fans, city and planet – which can be found at http://www.aecom.com/golden1center/.
Also on PRISM see ACEC California Engineering Excellence Awards.
