BREEAM Infrastructure: Winter sports venue sets new standards

The project emerged from the need to prepare Trondheim for hosting the 2025 Ski World Championships while creating a lasting legacy for the community. The Norwegian Ski Association's vision of "contributing to good upbringing conditions, good nature experiences, and good public health" fundamentally shaped the project's approach. This philosophy drove the decision to pursue BREEAM Infrastructure certification, ensuring the development would meet the highest standards of sustainability.

Transforming an existing sports facility into a world-championship venue while maintaining strict sustainability standards required careful planning and innovative approaches. The project team needed to balance the technical demands of international winter sports with environmental protection and community needs, all while working within the constraints of the existing site and local ecology. This complex undertaking was further complicated by the need to maintain portions of the facility's operations during construction. 

The project team faced several complex challenges: 

• Integrating world-class sporting facilities while preserving local ecology 
• Managing significant earthworks and material volumes sustainably 
• Ensuring effective surface water management and drainage 
• Balancing elite sports requirements with community accessibility 
• Maintaining ecological value during major infrastructure development  

The BREEAM Infrastructure framework provided a structured approach to sustainability, helping the team identify and implement best practices across all aspects of the development. Through early integration of sustainability principles and close collaboration between all stakeholders, the project team developed innovative solutions that met both sporting and environmental requirements. This comprehensive strategy ensured that each challenge was met with well-considered, sustainable solutions that would stand the test of time. 

The project implemented comprehensive solutions across multiple areas: 

Infrastructure development: 

• Extended and reconstructed ski jumps with new upper and lower runs 
• Created new support facilities including a referee building and coaching stands 
• Built a new arena building with integrated shooting hall 
• Installed new chair lift systems 
• Constructed a new ski bridge 

Environmental management: 

• Implemented sophisticated surface water calculations and management systems 
• Designed new water attenuation systems 
• Enhanced wastewater handling capacity 
• Protected and enhanced local vegetation 
• Created new open waterways 
• Established strategic replanting initiatives 

Resource efficiency: 

• Achieved 88.5% recycled content in bulk fill and sub-base materials 
• Reused or donated materials from the old ski jump 
• Carefully dismantled and rebuilt biathlon facilities 
• Diverted 97% of waste from landfill 

The successful delivery of the Granåsen Idrettspark project demonstrates how infrastructure development can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously with BREEAM Infrastructure. The project's impressive BREEAM Infrastructure score of 79.86% reflects a holistic approach to sustainability that delivered tangible benefits across environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Most notably, the perfect score in resilience (100%) and strong performance across other categories showcase the project's comprehensive commitment to sustainable development. 

The benefits extend beyond the immediate requirements of hosting the 2025 Ski World Championships, creating a lasting positive impact for both the local community and the wider region. The project's achievements are a benchmark for future sports infrastructure developments, proving that environmental stewardship and world-class sporting facilities can go hand in hand. 

Environmental Achievements: 

• 45% reduction in embodied carbon emissions (2,397 kgCO₂ equivalent) 
• Perfect score (100%) in resilience category 
• 89.58% score in pollution management 
• Strong performance in land use and ecology (78.47%) 
• Excellent management systems score (85.31%) 

Social Benefits: 

• Enhanced community stakeholder engagement (85.83% score) 
• Improved accessibility for all skill levels 
• Better integration with landscape and historic environment (82.14%) 
• Strong transport connectivity (84.82%) 
• Year-round facility usage capability 

Resource Management: 

• Efficient resource utilization (67.34% score) 
• Sustainable materials management 
• Innovative water management solutions 
• Effective waste reduction strategies