Sidney J. Watson Arena
The Sidney J. Watson ice arena opened on January 18, 2009 and is
adjacent to Farley Field House. In addition to a seating capacity
of 1,900 and standing room for several hundred more, it boasts the
best and most energy-efficient refrigeration and dehumidification
systems, seating design and home team accommodations of any
Division III collegiate arena.
The ice arena is named in honor of Bowdoin icon Sid Watson,
Ashmead White Director of Athletics Emeritus. An immortal in the
world of collegiate hockey, Watson guided the Bowdoin hockey
program to extraordinary heights during his career behind the
bench. A native of Andover, Mass., Watson retired from the College
in 1998. He passed away in April 2004 at the age of 71.
In June 2007 Bowdoin registered the Watson Arena as a LEED
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building project.
The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) created LEED as a
rating system for green building. The ice arena project anticipates
receiving credits for practices including:
* Heavy use of recycled content in building materials
* Extensive stormwater management plan
* Recycling a large amount of construction site materials
* Water-efficient fixtures in restrooms and locker rooms
* Excellent indoor air quality (for building occupancy and during
construction)
* The most energy-efficient refrigeration system available
[Click Here to view photos of the construction of Watson Arena]