Introduction

The role of a planning architect specializing in the design and control of sports facilities is crucial in any project team, as they analyse specific variables such as capacity, type of event, location, surroundings, crowd dynamics, construction characteristics, entry limitations, and circulation, among many others.
All these circumstances generate public risks and affect the normal dynamics of the city. Therefore, specialized technical knowledge and experience are required to develop sports activities, with the goal of providing a safe environment for both users and visitors.
This article aims to highlight the most important concepts—from an architect’s perspective—that must be considered to design safe infrastructure, and which tools to use for planning for prevention and infrastructure control systems to enhance safety in sports facilities.

Section 1: Training as a Key Tool for Safe Design
Investment in architects specialising in safety design and strategic territorial planning of sports facilities must become increasingly important. The creation of specific professional entities dedicated to the management of stadiums and sports facilities (especially in Europe) offers a framework for discussion and collaboration, supporting the treatment of issues related to comprehensive safety and security design.
Universities have also introduced academic programmes focused on the management and administration of sports facilities, where safety design is a key component, helping to train professionals with expertise in areas that were previously nonessential but are now vital due to market demand.
Planning the necessary infrastructure for an event is a major technical challenge that architects must take on, striving to balance social needs, the image projected to the world, and a useful legacy that enables inclusive activities without leading to excessive maintenance costs or the abandonment of structures.
It is essential to thoroughly review building and licensing regulations issued by the relevant authorities to develop a project that meets user needs and is integrated with its community.
Regardless of the sport, the number of spectators must also be taken into account.
Having safe individual areas is not enough if the overall design does not account for all the variables that influence safety.
Responsible planning of the necessary infrastructure for any type of event is a critical technical challenge that planners must face immediately.
Overcrowding and the lack of a planned design for crowd control —on the false belief that safety is purely a policing matter that safety is purely a police matter without considering design— have caused the worst tragedies in sports events.
Section 2: Project Development and Oversight
A stadium is an ideal vehicle for exploring and expressing an architect’s ideas about formal and structural design purity, its potential for multifunctional use, and the thoughtful safety measures that emerge from good design.
With a proper needs assessment, it is possible to plan and execute a project that meets regulatory and functional standards, generating conditions of safety for both facility maintenance and event users.
Identifying operational risks from the beginning —based on the nature of events and sports that will take place— enables appropriate design decisions related to the anticipated audience size, crowd behavior depending on the sport, quality and type of materials, and the separation of user groups (spectators, players, referees, officials, operational staff, security), among other relevant factors.
These variables inform the design of entrances, exits, circulation paths, services, and other functional spaces needed for proper operation.
Universal accessibility must also be included in the design, along with an evacuation plan that complies with all safety standards, including open spaces and rest areas to prevent crowd stress.
In existing facilities, organizers must be aware of and address regulatory and safety shortcomings. The more deficiencies found, the more dangerous the structure becomes, potentially rendering its use unacceptable.
For this reason, it is crucial to conduct an audit of the facility using inspection procedures and methods designed to verify the actual safety level of the stadium/facility.
With the results in hand, the specialist architect can redesign the facility, implementing corrective measures in identified risk areas and creating a safe environment throughout the entire venue, aligned with its intended use.
Section 3: The Future and New AI Technologies
Stadiums and facilities are incorporating advanced technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and BIM (Building Information Modeling) design protocols to improve safety, spectator experience, and operational management.
Designing a facility with the BIM protocol ensures a collaborative methodology for the creation and management of a construction project. The goal is to centralize all information in a digital model contributed to by all design participants, which, after construction, helps owners manage and maintain the facility.
AI-enabled cameras with facial recognition capabilities, able to identify individuals with legal restrictions and detect problematic crowd behavior at entrances, exits, stands, and other stadium areas is essential for a safe environment. This requires the architect to understand the facility’s operations and crowd dynamics in order to integrate the design with the available technology.
The entire project must work cohesively, with no parts of the stadium left unmonitored. This is made possible through intelligent design that includes open spaces, avoiding dark or maze like areas.
The use of crowd flow simulation software is also important. These tools allow the creation of predictive models that assess real-time pedestrian movement, verifying the adequacy of entrance, exit, and circulation designs.
How can this be applied in a stadium or sports facility??
It is applied through a stadium/team app.
Using a mobile phone pointed at the field, users can see real-time player names, statistics, tactics, movement paths, replays, and personalized interactive advertising.
Additionally, large screens with augmented reality display animated data about the game while watching the actual field.
The design must be complemented by the use of technological tools that an architect must know; because architects without these skills may struggle to remain competitive in the job market.

Conclusion

Good architectural design serves as a symbol within its surrounding context.
Architects who design responsibly must understand the impact that their design of a sports facility can have, and that safety is not a secondary issue.
Today, technology —through Big Data and AI— enables highly accurate studies of a site’s needs, consumption levels, income, risks, and habits, providing a knowledge framework to design a safe sports facility.
The future has already arrived, and while it is difficult to predict how far technological advances will go, it is clear that architects must acquire skills to handle the appropriate software and make the most of technological tools, enhancing their design and offering their clients in the competitive sports market a service that is agile, distinctive, and efficient.
This is a great challenge and architects are ready to face it successfully!

Keywords: Technology – Architect – Design – Facilities – Safety

Autor: arch. Agustin Garcia Puga –Argentina-
• Official representative appointed by the Argentine Federation of Architecture Entities (FADEA) as a member of the Sports and Leisure Work Programme of the International Union of Architects (UIA).
• President of the Latin America and Caribbean Section of the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities (IAKS LAC, a global organization based in Germany).
• Former National Director of Safety at Sporting Events at the Ministry of Security of Argentina.
• Professor of “Infrastructure and Sports Spaces” at the Argentine University of Enterprise (UADE), Faculty of Communication and Design, Buenos Aires.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/agustin-garcia-puga-08586b76/