The Zero-Carbon Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington

When your name is Climate Pledge Arena and your goal is to be the first carbon-neutral arena in the world, you have embraced innovation in a big way. As a dedicated partner in this endeavor, McKinstry worked across design and construction teams to deliver before the first game of the Seattle Kraken’s inaugural season.

Due to the arena’s location in the highly congested heart of Seattle, solar photovoltaics (PV) were the only feasible renewable energy source that could be reliably deployed. A multi-site PV strategy was planned across the Alaska Airlines Atrium at Climate Pledge Arena, the First Avenue parking garage and the Kraken Community Iceplex in Northgate. Together, the combined solar arrays play a key role in the arena’s ability to reach its zero-carbon goal.

Cost Efficiency through In-House Delivery

McKinstry performed site development, engineering, procurement, installation and commissioning. Our ability to purchase equipment directly, perform electrical and energy engineering, design and deliver architectural metals, complete installation and perform the required commissioning established McKinstry as the most comprehensive, cost-efficient and streamlined partner of choice.

Navigating Covid-19 Constraints and Delays

The project’s rigid schedule coincided with the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, placing strains on project delivery. McKinstry worked to shift manpower across all three sites to maximize available labor. When the delivery of materials was delayed, McKinstry collaborated with the general contractor to adjust accordingly so as not to disrupt others’ ability to continue working.

Driving Offsite Efficiency

To eliminate unnecessary site congestion, McKinstry completed work offsite to maximize the installation phase. We leveraged our architectural metals team to build support structures for installation and completed in-house training to ensure personnel understood the assembly process before setting foot on site.