Students Help Imagine Automated, Sustainable Sports Arena Of The Future

This year for the first time, students in Atlanta were invited by Honeywell and the Atlanta Hawks to imagine and design an automated and sustainable sports arena. The winners of the inaugural Arena of the Future Innovation Challenge were announced last week at State Farm Arena.   

“I am inspired by the creativity and dedication of the students participating in the Arena of the Future Challenge. Their forward-thinking solutions are a testament to the power of community and education in shaping a greener, more sustainable future.”

— Billal Hammoud, Honeywell

The eight-week Challenge gathered nearly 30 high school students from Atlanta schools to conceptualize a blueprint for a next-generation arena with building automation and sustainability components as the cornerstones. Students were encouraged to include water conservation, energy generating solutions, and technologies such as robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) in their designs.

Each student team was guided by mentors from Honeywell as they brainstormed concepts to help improve building automation and sustainability efforts at State Farm Arena. The Challenge concluded with Honeywell and the Hawks hosting Friday’s capstone event at State Farm Arena, where each team pitched their design to industry judges from the Hawks and Honeywell.

Honeywell awarded the top three winning teams’ schools a total of $10,000 in prizes, with the first-place team’s school winning $7,500, $1,500 to second, and $1,000 to third.

The winners are:

• 1st Place: Stepping to Sustainability — B.E.S.T. Academy. The team’s idea involved converting foot traffic, specifically around the entrances, into energy to power the arena.
• 2nd Place: Project Hawks — Frederick Douglass High School
• 3rd Place: Project Safety and Security — Frederick Douglass High School

“I am inspired by the creativity and dedication of the students participating in the Arena of the Future Challenge,” said Billal Hammoud, president and CEO of Honeywell’s Building Automation business segment. “Their forward-thinking solutions are a testament to the power of community and education in shaping a greener, more sustainable future. Supporting our next generation of leaders is essential to ensuring a future that is fueled by innovation and collaboration.”

Partnership To Improve Sustainability Efforts At State Farm Arena

In February, Honeywell became the Official Sustainable Building Technology Partner for the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena. As part of the multi-year deal, Honeywell is implementing a series of high-tech upgrades to the arena’s building operations system. These efforts will help decrease energy consumption and emissions while increasing visibility and control of the indoor environment.

“We are extremely pleased that the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena chose Honeywell to collaborate on prioritizing efficient, healthy and sustainable building operations at the State Farm Arena,” said Adam Joiner, Vice President of Global Sales for Honeywell’s Building Automation segment. “Our teamwork will help drive powerful change for the local community.”

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To help optimize the court’s playing conditions while improving the fan and guest experience, the arena’s building management system will be updated with a new system that includes Honeywell Forge software solutions. This software leverages machine learning to monitor energy use and will autonomously adjust the arena’s HVAC system to operate more efficiently, help advance sustainability efforts, and regulate indoor air quality (IAQ). This partnership further supports Honeywell’s alignment of its business with the compelling megatrends of automation and energy transition.

“Honeywell’s technology provides us with the solutions and tools that we need to make our arena more energy efficient, help meet our sustainability goals and make the arena healthier for our fans, players and staff,” said Brett Stefansson, the Hawks’ Executive VP and General Manager of State Farm Arena. “With an approximate two million fans and guests visiting State Farm Arena each year, our building operations are fundamental to managing their experiences and improving our collective impact on the environment.”

Honeywell is also installing secondary filtration in player locker rooms and fan clubs and deploying specialized sensors to monitor levels of carbon dioxide, total volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter.

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