Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta

TRAILBLAZER FOR THE GREEN SPORTS INDUSTRY

MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM IN ATLANTA, GA

Home to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United of MLS and many of the world’s top sports and entertainment events, Mercedes-Benz Stadium (MBS) was the first professional sports stadium in the world in November 2017 to achieve LEED Platinum Certification and by that time had gathered more points than any other sports facility in the world with a total of 88. The 158,804 m² stadium’s unique sustainability solutions for water, lighting, and energy conservation, as well as community programs and stewardship, have been a key part of the building’s story of innovation from day one.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium has become a trailblazer for green building in sports with its approach to building with low-/zero-toxicity materials. It was the first sports facility to pursue LEED v4 credits, specifically in the materials and resources suite. A life-cycle analysis was performed on the buildings’ structure and building envelope materials, helping the design and construction team to identify and select materials that demonstrated an at least 10 percent reduction in global warming potential. Sustainability initiatives are projected to save 29 percent in energy usage versus a typical stadium design.

Flexibility Designed to be scalable to host some of the world’s top sports and entertainment events, the stadium is easily reconfigured to accommodate games for the Falcons, matches for

Location Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Owner Georgia World Congress Center Authority

Operator Atlanta Falcons Football Club

Architects HOK US – 30303 Atlanta www.hok.com

Author AMB Sports + Entertainment Photos + Graphics Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Official opening August 2017 Construction costs USD 1.4 billion (EUR 1.41 billion)

Atlanta United, the city’s Major League Soccer franchise, and for world-class events such as Super Bowl, FIFA World Cup matches and major concerts and performances. Retractable seats surrounding the field bring soccer fans closer to the pitch. A 30-meter high mega-column is wrapped with a 3-dimensional video board that encases more than 75 percent of the column, designed to maximize additional unique programming space. The mega-column required more than 142 video boards.

Zero-waste efforts In June 2022 Mercedes-Benz Stadium became the first stadium in professional sports to be awarded Total Resource Use and Efficiency (TRUE) precertification for its zero-waste efforts. Administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), TRUE precertification recognizes buildings and projects that have implemented the foundational programs and policies needed to effectively pursue zero-waste and have demonstrated a commitment to achieving official TRUE certification. Through innovative strategies and strong community partnerships, the Mercedes-Benz Stadium has developed its environmental awareness and continuously pursued its sustainability goals. Key drivers are:

Water treatment Mercedes-Benz Stadium sits atop of the Proctor Creek Watershed, historically known for flooding during large rain events. The collective goal of the ownership, design and construction team was to positively impact the approach to water for the project. As a result, the project was the first sports stadium to receive all water credits due to these aspects: water conservation; rainwater recapture/reuse in a 3-million-liter cistern for the cooling tower and in landscaping irrigation; 5-million-liter cooling tower; partnership with Trees Atlanta (to plant and maintain trees in the urban core) to share captured rainwater for tree and urban garden irrigation; and waterless urinals throughout the building. The highly advanced stormwater management system captures and slowly releases stormwater to help to prevent flooding and storm surges in the

neighboring community. The stadium includes water-efficient fixtures that in aggregate use 47 percent less water than baseline building standards (EPAct 1992).

Energy optimization 4,000 photovoltaic (PV) panels are installed on the stadium site and the campus with the goal of generating approximately 1.6 million kilowatt hours per year of renewable energy. This is enough to power a) roughly ten percent of the stadium’s energy consumption (the equivalent of approximately 160 households in Atlanta) or b) more than nine Atlanta Falcons home games or 13 Atlanta United home matches. Ten electric-vehicle-charging stations are installed in various parking areas on the campus with capacity to charge up to 48 vehicles simultaneously. Monitoring equipment helps to track energy consumption including lighting, heating and cooling use to ensure maximum efficiency.

The advanced stadium-wide LED lighting system lasts ten times longer than standard lights and reduces energy usage by as much as 60 percent. The abundant natural light that enters the concourses and inner bowl through high-tech, energy-efficient, floor-to-roof glass and ETFE fabric reduces the need for additional lighting use.

Alternative transportation The stadium provides excellent transit access for patron use with three convenient rail line stations. The layout of the property encourages the 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. A bike valet program is provided for fans who want to ride their bikes to the game and securely store bikes during the event. Pedestrian-friendly walking paths allow for easy connectivity between the communities.

Local food production Edible landscaping on site, including blueberry bushes and trees carrying apples and figs contribute to the natural ecosystem. The MBS Urban Garden, featuring eight beds with

a variety of produce and flowers, grows spices and produce used in the stadium’s concession menus and serves as an educational resource for both staff and students of the culinary jobs training program, giving lessons on healthy eating, growing food and buying locally.

Recycling and compost Since March of 2022, MBS has diverted over 90 percent of accumulated waste from landfill at all major events. MBS employs a variety of green practices and programs that allow the stadium to achieve zero-waste on event day and in the building’s administrative offices including:

• Using supply chain items made from recyclable and compostable materials • Leveraging a 540 square-meter resource recovery room to reclaim, sort and divert materials from landfill • Sustainability education and engagement programs for fans, associates and the stadium’s food and beverage partners • Recycling and compost bins added to every stadium suite • Compostable paper soda cups and lids used at all concession stands • Compost and recycling bins clearly marked throughout the building so that fans can actively participate in the building’s sustainable efforts.

Community engagement Atlanta’s Westside has been one of the most disinvested, marginalized and challenged neighborhoods in the city. In the decade prior to the stadium vision becoming a reality, many projects started to make a positive, meaningful difference on the Westside. Here are a couple of examples:

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation (AMBFF) provided more than USD 9 million in philanthropic investments in education, greenspace, health and other related issues. AMBFF sees its primary role on the Westside as being a catalyst for positive neighborhood transformation. The foundation accomplishes this by: 1) making smart, strategic

funding investments; 2) leveraging additional resources to the Westside; 3) building community and political will to address systemic issues of poverty and disinvestment; 4) ensuring that neighborhood transformation benefits all, especially long-time residents; and 5) supporting, where appropriate, and leading, when necessary. The foundation is committed for the long-term.

In 2018, a new synthetic turf field was installed at the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Atlanta – Bellwood Club, thanks in part to a USD 250,000 grant from the Atlanta Falcons through the National Football League Foundation Grassroots Program. They teamed up with the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). LISC identifies local, non-profit, community-based agencies that have an interest in building or refurbishing football fields in schools and neighborhood parks. Through the program, local agencies are provided with the necessary financing and technical assistance to improve the quality and safety of fields in their communities. In May of 2019, a new counselling center in the historic Westside community of Atlanta was opened with the help of CHRIS 180, an Atlanta-based non-profit organization dedicated to healing children and families with holistic health services and trauma-informed care.

With the Second Helpings Atlanta program, more than 30,528 kg of food (translating to 56,250 meals) were diverted from landfill and delivered via 19 partner agencies to the underserved in the community.

Recycle for Good, launched in partnership with AMBSE in 2017, turns aluminum cans and bottles collected from events into funds to support a Habitat for Humanity home build. For every three million bottles and cans collected and recycled, one home is built on the Westside. To date, more than nine million aluminum bottles and cans have been collected and recycled from the Georgia Dome, former home of the Atlanta Falcons, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, allowing the construction of the program’s third home.