Bentley University
Bentley Arena
Bentley Arena
Bentley Arena
Bentley Arena
Bentley Arena

Ice arena at Bentley University gets LEED platinum rating

May 8, 2018
The Bentley Arena opened on the Waltham, Mass., campus in February.

The new ice arena at Bentley University in Waltham, Mass.has received LEED platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its environmentally friendly design and construction.

The university says the 76,000-square-foot Bentley Arena is the first standalone ice arena to achieve a platinum rating.

“Thanks to the combination of the rooftop solar technology and energy-efficient mechanical design, the overall grid energy required to power the arena will be less than half of what it would take to power a building of a similar size,” says Amanda King, director of sustainability at Bentley. “These technologies also cut the building’s carbon footprint in half.”

The Bentley Arena is home to the university's hockey team as well as events such as career fairs, speeches and concerts. The facility held its grand opening in February. It has a seating capacity of 2,000 seats for hockey and up to 3,400 for other events.

The sustainable features of the arena include:

  • A 504-kilowatt, 1,400-panel rooftop solar array, designed and financed by Rivermoor Energy, that will generate 40 percent of the building's annual electricity needs.
  • Technology that captures heat generated from the rink’s ice-making equipment to heat water throughout the building.
  • An abundance of glass windows that admit natural light and decrease the amount of electricity needed to illuminate the building’s interior.
  • High-efficiency LED lighting with motion-detecting controls that turn off lights when no one is present.
  • Ice-making and air conditioning systems that use zero-CFC-based refrigerants. CFCs—Chlorofluorocarbons—have been found to destroy the Earth's ozone layer.
  • High-efficiency plumbing fixtures, including waterless urinals, dual-flush toilets, and low-flow faucets and showers to reduce the demand for water.
  • At least 50 percent of wood used in the building is sourced from forests with certified sustainable forestry practices.
  • About 10 percent of construction and finish materials were locally sourced, and about 20 percent of construction and finish materials contain recycled content.

The architect is Architectural Resources Cambridge, and the builder is Suffolk Construction.

VIDEO of arena construction and opening:

Sponsored Recommendations

How to design flexible learning spaces that teachers love and use

Unlock the potential of flexible learning spaces with expert guidance from school districts and educational furniture providers. Discover how to seamlessly integrate adaptive ...

Blurring the Lines in Education Design: K–12 to Higher Ed to Corporate America

Discover the seamless integration of educational and corporate design principles, shaping tomorrow's leaders from kindergarten to boardroom. Explore innovative classroom layouts...

Room to Learn: Furniture Solutions for Education

Preparing students for the future. Utilizing our experience in the education market, we offer a dynamic selection of products that pair technology with furniture to help stimulate...

Transforming Education: A Case Study in Progressive Classroom Design

Discover how Workspace Interiors and the Baldwin School District reshaped learning environments in Long Island, New York, creating pedagogically responsive spaces that foster ...