Through a public-private partnership, owners of the Milwaukee Bucks, a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise, and a collective of visionaries joined forces to build a new arena and create Milwaukee’s Deer District, which would serve as a magnet to attract visitors to the now vibrant destination.

The visionaries knew they had to think well into the future to make this happen. As the pioneers of the gold standard in sports and entertainment venues, they also set out to create a sense of place. To them, it was essential that it authentically connect the people of Milwaukee with its heritage, each other and the city's progressive plans for tomorrow.

The Wisconsin Center District, the owner of Fiserv Forum, enlisted legacy Milwaukee building technology company Johnson Controls as its technology contractor to bring this vision to life.

Designing a flexible technological infrastructure for a future-proof, world-class sports and entertainment venue

Due to the massive scale of Fiserv Forum – 714,000 square feet – Johnson Controls built with the end in mind, closely communicating with leadership, stakeholders and design construction partners from the very beginning to help deliver the arena early and under budget.

Through a coordinated design, implementation and optimization effort, leading-edge equipment, technology and digital solutions were seamlessly integrated across Fiserv Forum and its entertainment plaza, the Bucks training facility and parking complex.

The result was a flexible infrastructure enabling the arena and district to pivot rapidly alongside changing demands while guaranteeing innovative fan experiences in an immersive, secure, healthy and sustainable setting.

Infrastructure that goes the distance

A lot has changed since Fiserv Forum first opened its doors, but the technology has been resolute. Building upon the existing future-ready infrastructure, Fiserv Forum leverages state-of-the-art innovations from Johnson Controls, its OpenBlue Healthy Buildings solutions and Metasys® building automation system to:

• Provide clean air through disinfection, improved ventilation and increased filtration
• Offer touchless temperature checks and strict compliance management for staff
• Advance safety and security, critical operations and system uptime, all monitored from the Arena Operations Center
• Monitor HVAC, lighting, security and fire protection with world-class technology for real-time data that prompts operational efficiency and enhanced sustainability
• Enhance the in-game experience through the in-house video production studio supported by the audio/video infrastructure and broadcast cabling plant

Always committed to reducing its carbon footprint, Fiserv Forum is a sustainability leader in sports and entertainment venues. It earned LEED Silver certification in 2019 and recently secured its standing as a LEED-certified building by the U.S. Green Building Council with a score of 75 and Gold certification.

The home-court advantage

Pioneering an NBA championship run, delivering the best fan experiences in a safe, healthy and comfortable environment, and living up to its pledge to protect the planet, Fiserv Forum and Deer District glimmer as a beacon of urban revival – future-proofed for generations.

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OpenBlue Pioneers

OpenBlue Pioneers are developing the stories of tomorrow. Futurists, their visions revolutionize the built environment, drawing upon the advanced innovations of Johnson Controls to realize their commitment to smart, healthy, secure and sustainable environments. As advocates of possibility, these Pioneers envelop the OpenBlue suite of connected solutions to transform business and align with our commitment to creating smart, healthy and sustainable environments that focus on outcomes for people, places and the planet.

About OpenBlue

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