The USGBC awarded the Moda Center in Portland, OR it’s prestigious LEED v4.1 O+M Platinum Certification. The 19,393-seat Moda Center is home to the NBA team the Trailblazers. The venue is the first existing arena to earn LEED Platinum Certification in 2019 after receiving LEED Gold Recertification in 2015 and becoming the first existing professional sports arena in the world to receive LEED Gold status in 2010.

The LEED v4.1 certified sports venue has been committed to sustainability since its inception. For example, the facility turns food waste into soil for landscapes in the area. Over 1 million pounds of waste is diverted from landfills annually through the program. The Moda Center facility team post-sorts after every event, managing every bag of waste and properly sorting materials into the appropriate streams.

In addition, the Moda Center strives to reduce their environmental footprint in other areas. The venue uses low-flow toilets and fixtures, smart irrigation, and drought-resistant landscaping, as well as the purchase of Water Restoration Certificates. The NBA arena reduces and offsets energy use through building and equipment upgrades to more efficient systems and purchasing carbon offsets for natural gas usage.

The Moda Center has partnered with local food vendors to prioritize local, organic, hormone free food at the LEED v4.1 certified building. The sports venue team have made sure excess food from Moda Center goes to local children and families to alleviate hunger. The NBA arena have also installed EV charging stations for electric cars.

In a previous blog, LEED v4.1 For BD+C and ID+C Is Now Open for Registration, we discussed that the USGBC opened up LEED v4.1 for project teams. The beta process is being used to gather critical feedback and comments about the new ratings system. The USGBC will eventually open LEED v4.1 to a member ballot process. Once a final draft is completed, it must be approved by the USGBC Board of Directors and LEED Steering Committee. The final draft will then be voted on by USGBC members. How is your company preparing for LEED v4.1?