Barclays Women’s Super League (WSL) Football, in collaboration with Mott MacDonald, has unveiled the world’s first dedicated design framework for elite women’s football stadiums
The new guidelines provide a blueprint to plan, construct and retrofit stadiums that meet the specific needs of female players, staff and supporters. The initiative marks a significant shift from traditional football venue design, which has historically centred on the male game.
Driven by the rapid growth of women’s football, the framework promotes inclusive, sustainable and adaptable stadium environments.
Hannah Buckley, head of safety, sustainability and infrastructure for Barclays WSL Football, said: “We’re thrilled to unveil this document – it was acknowledged that female specific stadiums were a blind spot in the industry, and the willingness of our stakeholders to come together with their expertise and insights has been inspiring.”
Key design priorities identified include:
- Enhanced player and supporter facilities – such as women-friendly changing areas, inclusive toilets, and family and breastfeeding spaces.
- Improved accessibility – ensuring venues cater effectively to disabled fans and participants.
- Futureproofing for climate resilience – embedding sustainability and adaptability from the design phase onward.
Mott MacDonald led the development of the sustainability and climate resilience sections of the guidelines, contributing technical expertise on mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, as well as power, ICT and lighting design.
Recommendations set out by the consultancy include:
- Integration of renewable energy systems, rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling
- Elimination of single-use plastics
- Mitigation of heat stress and flood risk management measures incorporated from the outset
Mott MacDonald’s technical director for buildings, Ruth Shilston, said: “These new women’s stadium guidelines have been an opportunity to shape industry standards that will transform the way we design, build and experience football stadiums.
“We’re proud to have brought our decades of experience at the cutting edge of future-proofed building design to embed sustainability and climate resilience as design standards. We’re looking forward to seeing them adopted across the industry to help progress sports venues across the UK.”
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