Walter P Moore Achieves Prestigious ACEC Award for Intuit Dome Engineering Excellence

Recognizing Excellence in Engineering: Walter P Moore's Award-Winning Intuit Dome

Inglewood, California, has become a beacon of innovative architecture with the recent recognition of Walter P Moore by the American Council of Engineering Companies of California (ACEC California). The firm secured the coveted 2025 Golden State Award for their remarkable contributions to the construction of the Intuit Dome, an arena that embodies not just functional design but also sustainability and community spirit.

A Vision Realized

The Intuit Dome, envisioned by Steve Ballmer for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers, aims to be more than just a venue for sports. It is designed to foster community engagement while being a state-of-the-art facility that houses all team activities under one roof. With a seating capacity of 18,000, this arena sets a new standard for environmental consciousness within sports architecture, proudly claiming the title of the most eco-friendly NBA arena to date.

Architectural Marvel

Spanning 1.14 million square feet, the Intuit Dome is a complex masterpiece. It not only includes cutting-edge practice and training facilities but also features public amenities, such as indoor and outdoor basketball courts and fan gathering spaces. One of its most striking features is its unique diagrid shell, crafted from diamond-shaped ETFE and PTFE fabric panels that pay homage to the shape of a basketball net. This architectural ingenuity sets it apart from other NBA arenas.

Walter P Moore’s team, comprising specialists in structural, seismic, and construction engineering, collaborated diligently to refine the roof design, ensuring it exemplifies strength and visual appeal while adhering to practical constraints. The design strategically addresses the seismic activity risks associated with the location, which sits just 1.25 miles from the Newport-Inglewood Fault.

Within this engineering challenge lay opportunities for groundbreaking solutions. Rather than allowing the lightweight diagrid shell to be directly affected by the rigid structural frame beneath it, Walter P Moore devised a system that permits independent movement during seismic events. With innovative toggle-brace connections, the team successfully ensured that the shell remains responsive to seismic forces while maintaining aesthetic fluidity, likened to “a hula skirt.”