Saxton Field Stadium

A large multi-use indoor stadium location in Nelson, designed within tight budget while containing many passive energy efficient design characteristics, which take advantage of the high sunshine hours the area is known for. A trombe wall approximately 100 metres long and seven metres high was positioned to be most effective, facing due north sitting behind a wall of polycarbonate. Throughout the day this wall absorbs the sun’s heat and slowly releases this during the night. This stabilizes the large internal temperature swings common in such spaces to attain minimal reliance on supplementary heating and cooling. Sun screening systems are cleverly positioned to prevent internal over-heating in the hottest months. Passive ventilation is incorporated throughout the stadium with temperature sensor controlled automated opening windows and louvres. Furthermore this system provides the necessary smoke extract requirements without the need for costly and energy-heavy fans and air conditioning systems. A notable success of the environmentally sustainability of the building is the main lobby’s structure has been calculated as embodying net storage of C02 as 800kg CO/m3 – an unusually outstanding result for such a stadium.