Q2 Stadium Earns LEED Gold Certification

The U.S. Green Building Council recently announced Q2 Stadium, home of Austin’s first and only major league team, Austin FC, has earned the council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. The LEED Gold distinction recognizes the commitment to sustainability undertaken in the stadium’s construction and design.

“From the beginning, we wanted to create a sustainable community asset that Austin could be proud of,” said Andy Loughnane, Austin FC president.

Q2 Stadium opened in June 2021. Q2 Stadium, recently named a 2021 VenuesNow All-Star facility, was designed and built by architecture/design firm Gensler.

“Sustainability was a core part of our design approach for Q2 Stadium, centering on strategies to reduce indoor water use, maximize energy efficiency throughout the venue and site, as well as support public transit and walkability,” said Jonathan Emmett, principal and design director at Gensler.

Q2 Stadium was the first Major League Soccer stadium to use Whole Building Life Cycle Analysis to optimize its structure and enclosure, and reduce embodied carbon. The stadium complies with the COA Dark Skies initiative to reduce light pollution and water consumption from its calculated baseline by 55 percent (outdoor water) and 32 percent (indoor water).