Barclays Center achieves LEED® Silver Certification

BROOKLYN (July 22, 2013) – The U. S. Green Building Congress has awarded LEED® Silver Certification for New Construction to Barclays Center, the first professional sports and entertainment venue in the New York metro area to achieve this status for its sustainable design and construction methods.

Barclays Center was recognized in five environmental categories, including: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality, along with innovation and design.

“From site selection to materials used, we were focused on building one of the most sustainable arenas in the country,” said Bruce Ratner, Executive Chairman of Forest City Ratner Companies, the developer of Barclays Center and Atlantic Yards. “With mass transit as our foundation, we’ve built an arena that speaks to innovation and design as the corner stone of sustainability. I applaud our staff and our green partners for this tremendous accomplishment.”

“Hunt Construction Group is very proud to be part of this achievement,” said Kenneth L. Johnson, EVP & Division Manager of the Hunt Construction Group. “Our culture of sustainable design and building practices meshes well with FCRC’s corporate commitment to sustainable buildings and lifestyle. Barclays Center is yet another first for the team, the first LEED® Silver certified sports project in the New York metro area.”

“Our goal has always been to design a building that would be the model for future arenas and stadiums,” said Chris Sharples, Principal at SHoP Architects. “LEED® certification is a crucial step in making Barclays Center the standard-bearer for sustainable design in New York."

“AECOM is excited and proud to be a contributor in this achievement. Our purpose is to create, enhance and sustain the world’s built, natural and social environments. This commitment complements the actions of Forest City Ratner Companies and all of the project team in making Barclays Center the first LEED® Silver sports and entertainment project in the New York metro area,” said Steve Duethman, AECOM project manager.

The 675,000 square-foot arena, designed by the award-winning architectural firms SHoP Architects and AECOM, in collaboration with Hunt Construction Group, the Design-Builder, consists of three separate but woven bands made up of 12,000 unique panels that were fabricated from 600 tons of steel sheets. The first band engages the ground where the weathered steel exterior rises and lowers to create a sense of visual transparency, transitioning into a grand civic gesture that cantilevers out into a spectacular canopy at the intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush Avenues.