30 Oct 2018
Fiserv Forum praised as first bird-friendly sports arena
BY Andrew Manns
Fiserv Forum, the new home of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Milwaukee Bucks, has been named the world’s first bird-friendly stadium.
The 714,000sq ft Populous-designed venue, which opened to the public on 19 October and was shortly thereafter awarded the Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program (LEED) Bird Collision Deterrence credit, features glass panels with balanced insulation and reflectivity.
These elements greatly improve lighting conditions and prevent against collisions, which – some have argued – are the cause of between five and ten percent of all bird deaths in the United States.
Bryan Lenz, collisions campaign manager at the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and former director of Bird City Wisconsin, said the Bucks' decision to implement the avian-friendly design would set an example for other sports organisations.
He commented: "Hopefully the team’s message, that designing with birds in mind is an achievable goal, will set Fiserv Forum up as a model for arenas, stadiums and all other buildings for years to come."
Bird City Wisconsin first approached Bucks company directors to discuss the wellbeing of the area’s bird populations in 2015.
"The Bucks stepped up for birds in a way that no sports franchise ever has," Lenz said.
Close Window