Spruce Goose Historic Renovation

Cumming’s Role
Cumming provided cost management, scheduling, and commercial management services.

Overall Scope of Work
Cumming provided cost, scheduling, and commercial management services for the Spruce Goose project, which involved the conversion of an historic, seven-story, wooden hangar building into a four-story, 480,000-sq.-ft office facility, complete with work spaces, conference rooms, a 250-person event space, a café, a fitness center, an assembly area, sound stages, and other amenities. The interior is fitted with custom furnishings, colorful artwork, and potted plants. Aviation themes were incorporated into phone rooms and meeting rooms, which have names like Kite and Zephyr that reference the building’s history. The scope of work also included redundant telecom/data systems, extensive A/V and security systems, new pile foundations, structural steel framing, interior partitions, food service equipment, casework, finishes, and all-new HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems. The building needed complete seismic and fire/life safety upgrades, and was located on a contaminated soil clean-up zone in an old aerospace industrial area.

Project Outcome
The project was a complete success. Not only was it delivered on time and within budget, but a famous and locally important building has been restored and revitalized, and the surrounding campus and community have been given new life. Hundreds of Google employees now work in the repurposed Spruce Goose hangar, which, according to project architect ZGF, features original artworks (commissioned by Google) based on “the hangar’s aviation history, Google’s innovative ethos, and the multi-faceted spirit of Los Angeles.”

The final result is a wonderful balance of historic preservation and forward-thinking design, and will inspire and support the local community for many more years to come.