Designing for the First Climate Positive Summer Games

The global sports industry is a major contributor to global warming, roughly emitting as much carbon as the country of Spain.  

The Paris 2024 Olympics impressed the world with their bold commitment to reduce the Game’s carbon footprint by half compared to previous editions, making them the most sustainable Games yet. While all upcoming Olympic Games have committed to be carbon neutral, Brisbane 2032 aspires to go even further—to be the first climate positive Summer Games and removing more carbon than is produced during its construction and operation. 

At COX, our long-standing design ethos of ‘do more with less’ helps minimise material use and consequently the environmental footprint of our projects. With global temperatures exceeding 1.5°C for 13 consecutive months, now is the critical time to create better through design ingenuity and accelerate progress towards a carbon-neutral economy.  

To achieve true climate positivity, we must shift our thinking from ‘build it cheap and quick’ to ‘build it to last.’ After all, venues of yesteryear, such as the Colosseum in Rome and the Hippodrome in Istanbul, were built without the use of fossil fuels and lasted millennia – some of the most sustainable venues in history. 

To deliver enjoyable and resilient sports venues, we must move beyond traditional approaches, embracing regenerative design, low-carbon materials, and circular economy principles.  

Image 1 credit: Supplied by VenuesNSW, Image 2 credit: Photographer Christopher Frederick Jones 

Design Approach for Sustainable Sports Venues 

Buildings account for about 40% of global carbon emissions, so rethinking sports facilities is critical to combatting the climate crisis. High energy use, material consumption, and waste generation present unique challenges in these venues. 

Key strategies for mitigating these issues include energy and resource efficiency, adaptive reuse, and circular economy principles. Flexible, multifunctional designs allow venues to host events year-round, improving their environmental viability. Passive design features such as solar management, natural ventilation, and the use of reflective materials further reduce energy use. Integrating renewable energy systems enables venues to generate more energy than they consume annually. 

Master planning plays a critical role in ensuring environmental and social sustainability from the earliest stages. Rather than isolated suburban sites, new stadia are being developed on central brownfield sites, contributing to urban renewal and maximising activation between venues, bars, and restaurants. Inner-city locations also benefit from active travel and public transport links, ultimately reducing emissions from private vehicles.  

Biophilic design, which incorporates nature into built environments, enhances climate resilience and showcases Queensland’s biodiversity. Blue and green infrastructure, including parks, green roofs, and walls, improve air quality, mitigate flash flooding and lower urban temperatures by creating local ‘cool islands’ that support native biodiversity all-year round. 

At COX, each new venue builds on our past success. Our research continually expands to incorporate sustainable structures, resource efficiency and circularity, low carbon materials, energy efficient construction methods and emerging renewable technologies. 

Qudos Bank Arena
Holistic Approach to Sustainability 

As one of the major venues for the 2000 Olympics, the Qudos Bank Arena was designed and constructed to set new benchmarks in sustainability, accessibility, spectator comfort, operational efficiency, and Olympic serviceability, and was awarded the prestigious Banksia Award for Construction Practices in 1999. The project featured innovations such as recycling 90% of construction waste, rainwater harvesting, and dual water systems, resulting in a 50% reduction of water consumption. Energy-efficient lighting and microclimate air conditioning saved 65% of the building’s energy needs. The arena also had the largest rooftop solar collector in the southern hemisphere at the time, further enhancing its sustainability profile. 

Minimising Embodied Carbon in Sports Venues 

Our ‘do more with less’ approach maximises the efficiency and durability of materials while minimising unnecessary components. This approach prioritises reusable or recyclable materials and ensures that elements can be easily dismantled or repaired. Adaptive reuse of existing structures is preferred, but when demolition is necessary, we apply circular economy principles, including recycling waste and reusing materials in new construction. 

Figure 1. Pathway to Carbon Positive – Retain Existing 

Structural optimisation is key. Reducing the use of high-carbon materials such as concrete and steel, along with prefabrication and advanced manufacturing, cuts waste, shortens construction times, and limits environmental impacts. Material selection focuses on low-carbon alternatives, local sourcing, and renewable or recycled materials. Iterative Lifecycle Assessments (LCA) guide every stage of the design process to continually reduce the carbon footprint. 

Adelaide Oval Hotel
Integrated PV and CLT

The Adelaide Oval Hotel is Australia’s first integrated stadium hotel. It incorporates advanced LED lighting, photovoltaic systems for renewable energy, and battery storage to increase energy independence. Rainwater harvesting further supports the building’s climate resilience. Cross-laminated timber (CLT), which is renewable and carbon negative, is used extensively, improving thermal and acoustic performance. This project demonstrates how sustainable technologies can enhance both functionality and environmental outcomes.

Designing for Sustainable Operations

Achieving climate positive operations require minimising energy and water consumption, maximising renewable energy generation, and implementing zero-waste strategies. Artificial lighting is often the largest energy consumer in stadia, but passive design features like translucent PTFE roofs can significantly decrease operational carbon and costs.

The combination of optimised solar management, thermal mass and natural ventilation considerably reduces the need for air conditioning and thus energy consumption. While surplus energy can be fed into the grid and power nearby buildings and precincts, on-site renewable energy generation is most efficient when supported by batteries to manage disparities between energy demand and generation and stabilise the electricity grid.

Other sustainable operational improvements include plastic-free, recyclable, and compostable food packaging, which is now common in most modern venues. Water conservation should be prioritised through rainwater harvesting for irrigation and non-potable uses, alongside the adoption of waterless or low-flush amenities, which are fast becoming standard in modern venues.

Ken Rosewall Arena
High Performance Passive Design

(Both images) Photographer: Martin Mischkulnig 

Ken Rosewall Arena’s redevelopment features a cable net steel structure with a translucent PTFE roof, a first for stadia in Australia, designed by COX in collaboration with Arup and Fabritecture. This addition helps to enhance thermal comfort and year-round usability. The mixed-mode ventilation system provides natural airflow while maintaining daylight access, preserving the venue’s Olympic legacy and sustainability for future events. 

Rod Laver Arena Redevelopment
LEED Certified 

(Both images) Photographer: Peter Clarke 

Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, part of Australia’s premier sporting hub, earned LEED Gold certification for its achievements in energy and water efficiency, sustainable material use, and innovation in design. This redevelopment showcases best-in-class sustainability and sets a benchmark for future sports facilities. 

With Brisbane 2032 on the horizon, Australia once again has the chance to redefine the role of sustainable design in major sporting events. By embracing innovative solutions, we will lead the way and deliver the first climate positive Summer Games—leaving an impactful legacy for athletes, communities, and the planet.