flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

New flight pattern: Google, Spruce Goose

Reconstruction Awards

New flight pattern: Google, Spruce Goose

The hangar that once housed the Spruce Goose is adapted to meet a tech giant’s workplace needs.


By John Caulfield, Senior Editor | December 12, 2019
Google, Spruce Goose

Photo: Connie Zhou

Since 2016, Google has leased the seven-story, 750-foot-long hangar where, in 1943, Howard Hughes housed his all-wood-body Hercules IV airplane, the “Spruce Goose.”

The project team recreated this space into a four-story building within a building comprised of office, meeting, and event areas, as well as employee amenities, which unify the existing campus.

The hangar’s original 75-foot-high glulam arches and wood sidings were preserved and exposed to the interior. Twenty thousand three-foot-long, half-inch-diameter screws secure the arches and wood structure. The all-wood spine that supports the ceiling was deconstructed and rebuilt with noncombustible materials that were reclad with refurbished wood panels.

The project’s complexity included running six miles of conduit underground around 1,500 piles.

To promote user engagement, the main circulation on each level was formed into a zigzag, bridging the spine and two sides of the hangar. A “boardwalk” connects the interior structure from the ground floor to the third level.

 

HONORABLE MENTION

BUILDING TEAM ZGF Architects (submitting firm, architect) Google (owner/developer) Arup (SE, MEP) MATT Construction (GC, CM) DETAILS 450,000 sf Total cost Confidential Construction time August 2016 to July 2018 Delivery method CM at risk

Related Stories

Reconstruction Awards | Jan 6, 2021

University of Pennsylvania’s Stemmler Hall forgoes retrofit in favor of complete renovation

The Edward J. Stemmler Hall project has won a Bronze Award in BD+C’s 2020 Reconstruction Awards.

Reconstruction Awards | Dec 29, 2020

The reenvisioned Sazerac House: A delectable cocktail that's just perfect for the Big Easy

The 51,987-sf Sazerac House is an interactive cocktail museum, active distillery, corporate headquarters, and event venue, all under one roof, next to the historic French Quarter of New Orleans.

Reconstruction Awards | Dec 18, 2020

Can converting a landmark office to a clinic raise up a downtrodden Philadelphia neighborhood?

BD+C’s Reconstruction Awards recognize the adaptive reuse of the Kensington Trust building.

Reconstruction Awards | Dec 18, 2020

Spokane Riverfront Park U.S. Pavilion project creates a refreshed gathering place in Spokane

The project has won a Bronze Award in BD+C's 2020 Reconstruction Awards.

Reconstruction Awards | Dec 16, 2020

Voters resuscitate an abandoned high school in northern California

A 2014 bond issue provided financing to seismically stabilize and modernize Historic Alameda High School, a 2020 Silver Reconstruction Award winner.

Reconstruction Awards | Dec 14, 2020

Wyoming Capitol Square renovation project is all about the details

The Wyoming Capitol Square project has won a Gold Award in BD+C's 2020 Reconstruction Awards.

Reconstruction Awards | Dec 12, 2020

A famed dome of a historic glasshouse is revived to its rightful glory

Scaffolding played a critical role in the repair and restoration of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory’s Palm Dome at the New York Botanical Gardens, a Gold winner of BD&C’s 2020 Reconstruction Awards

Reconstruction Awards | Dec 8, 2020

A synagogue in Toronto is renewed while preserving its history

Holy Blossom Temple is a Platinum winner in BD+C’s 2020 Reconstruction Awards.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category


Giants 400

BD+C Awards Programs

Entry information and past winners for Building Design+Construction's two major awards programs: 40 Under 40 and Giants 400



halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021