E
rleen Hatfield’s work experience covers a range of high-profile developments over the past 15 years: Ford Field, the Sydney Superdome, Sochi Stadium, the New York Times building, the World Trade Center Memorial Museum and the Atlanta Falcons’ new stadium set to open in 2017.
Erleen
Hatfield
BUROHAPPOLD ENGINEERING
But one sports project she worked on sticks out for things not going as originally planned: the new arena in Brooklyn. As a structural engineer for Thornton Tomasetti at the time, Hatfield spent more than five years working on “starchitect” Frank Gehry’s team to develop the facility. Major cost overruns during Gehry’s tenure ultimately resulted in AECOM taking over as arena designer, but Hatfield learned a valuable lesson before moving on to another project: the importance of value engineering to help deliver sports developments on budget.
In Atlanta, Hatfield’s role is key for designing the oculus-shaped retractable roof of the Falcons’ planned $1.2 billion stadium, its signature piece. The building’s architecture and engineering are such a big part of the development that it’s opened opportunities to hire top talent to help plan the facility.
“When it’s that cutting edge … it’s more than just 80,000 seats,” Hatfield said. “People want to be a part of something that exciting. It’s a new approach.”
— Don Muret
