Six World Cup stadiums have achieved LEED certification

In conjunction with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that six World Cup stadiums have achieved LEED certification, including South America’s largest stadium, Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro.

Originally built and used for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, the LEED Silver Maracanã stadium is once again reprising its role by playing host for the final game of the 2014 World Cup. Maracanã will also serve as a major sporting venue for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, hosting both the opening and closing ceremonies as well as major sporting events.

The other LEED-certified stadiums for the 2014 FIFA World Cup include Castelao Arena in Fortaleza (LEED Certified), Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador (LEED Silver), Mineirão in Belo Horizonte (LEED Silver), Arena da Amazônia in Manaus (LEED Silver) and Arena Multiuso in Salvador (LEED Silver).

“Even as the world's top teams take the field, the venues themselves are also in the spotlight, demonstrating not only the worldwide applicability and adaptability of the LEED green building rating system, but also Brazil’s leadership position at the forefront of the movement to high-performing green buildings,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “FIFA and the Government of Brazil have shown great leadership and commitment to mitigating the environmental impact of these World Cup facilities and for making them a showcase of sustainable construction for the international community.”

Felipe Faria, managing director of Green Building Council Brasil, noted that the Brazilian construction firm responsible for the certification of Maracanã, Odebrecht, pushed the boundaries of sustainable innovation, including features such as photovoltaic panels on the roof, rainwater reservoirs and selective collection for waste.

“Just over 60 years from its completion for the 1950 World Cup, Maracanã is once again making history,” said Faria. “Indeed, the entire country of Brazil is making history with these LEED stadiums. We are grateful for the leadership demonstrated by the professionals in the marketplace and applaud their achievements. The many green elements incorporated into these stadiums will reduce the environmental impact of the games on Brazil from improved transit access to lower water and energy consumption.”

Each stadium incorporated multiple sustainable features that contributed to its LEED certification. For example, Castelao Arena features a 67.6 percent reduction in drinkable water consumption, a 12.7 percent reduction in annual energy consumption and a 97 percent of the project waste was diverted from the landfill. Arena Fonte Nova, meanwhile, used 20 percent of its building materials made from recycled content, diverted 75 percent of the project’s construction waste from the landfill and purchased 35 percent of its power from renewable sources like solar and wind.

Brazil is among the top five countries worldwide with LEED-certified projects, encompassing nearly 3 million gross square meters (GSM) of LEED-certified space.

To date, project teams in more than 150 countries and territories have implemented LEED in their building projects, taking advantage of LEED’s framework to create structures that mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, provide healthier indoor environments for the people in the buildings and lower utility bills for building owners through reduced energy and water use.

See how your architecture, engineering, or construction firm stacks up against the nation's AEC Giants. For more than 45 years, the editors of Building Design+Construction have surveyed the largest AEC firms in the U.S./Canada to create the annual Giants 400 report. This year, a record 519 firms participated in the Giants 400 report. The final report includes 137 rankings across 25 building sectors and specialty categories.

The Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design at Indiana University, IDEAS² Awards Photo Hadley Fruits, courtesy AISC

Steel Buildings | Feb 3, 2023

Top 10 structural steel building projects for 2023

A Mies van der Rohe-designed art and architecture school at Indiana University and Morphosis Architects' Orange County Museum of Art in Costa Mesa, Calif., are among 10 projects to win IDEAS² Awards from the American Institute of Steel Construction.

Top 60 Sports Facility Contractors and CM Firms for 2022 pexels-robert-hernandez-villalta-128457

Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022

Top 75 Sports Facility Engineering and EA Firms for 2022

Alfa Tech, AECOM, ME Engineers, and Walter P Moore head the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022

Top 110 Sports Facility Architecture and AE Firms for 2022

Populous, HOK, Gensler, and Perkins and Will top the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022

Top 60 Sports Facility Contractors and CM Firms for 2022

AECOM, Mortenson, Clark Group, and Turner Construction top the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Mass Timber | Aug 30, 2022

Mass timber construction in 2022: From fringe to mainstream

Two Timberlab executives discuss the market for mass timber construction and their company's marketing and manufacturing strategies. Sam Dicke, Business Development Manager, and Erica Spiritos, Director of Preconstruction, Timberlab, speak with BD+C's John Caulfield.

Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022

Top 90 Construction Management Firms for 2022

CBRE, Alfa Tech, Jacobs, and Hill International head the rankings of the nation's largest construction management (as agent) and program/project management firms for nonresidential and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022

Top 200 Contractors for 2022

Turner Construction, STO Building Group, Whiting-Turner, and DPR Construction top the ranking of the nation's largest general contractors, CM at risk firms, and design-builders for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022

Top 45 Engineering Architecture Firms for 2022

Jacobs, AECOM, WSP, and Burns & McDonnell top the rankings of the nation's largest engineering architecture (EA) firms for nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings work, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.

Currently Reading

Six World Cup stadiums have achieved LEED certification

Tags

Arenas | Feb 14, 2023

Giants 400 | Feb 9, 2023

Steel Buildings | Feb 3, 2023

Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022

Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022

Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022

Mass Timber | Aug 30, 2022

Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022

Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022

Giants 400 | Aug 22, 2022

Most Popular Content

Magazine Subscription

Get our Newsletters

Follow BD+C: