The Hercules Campus Site Improvements project is a portion of a cohesive campus of creative office and production space for tenants in the entertainment, media and technology industries. Shangri-La provided construction management and preconstruction services for a 14-acre parcel of the 28-acre development. The overall site is comprised of 11 existing buildings totaling 537,130 square feet of building space on four parcels of land, including the hangar where Howard Hughes’ legendary Spruce Goose was built and is currently used as a production soundstage. The development matches the inventiveness of its tenants by combining contemporary design and state of the art engineering with solar and fuel cell technology in pursuit of an ambitious long-term goal of taking the development entirely “off the grid.”
The design plans for The Hercules Campus map out what will ultimately become a connected community with distinctively creative work environments designed to foster innovation and invention. The Hercules Campus will be occupied by non-traditional companies known for their leadership in the fields of media, entertainment and technology. Building renovations will be completed in accordance with historic preservation requirements and will incorporate cutting edge green technology as well as tried and true techniques to minimize the environmental footprint of the development.
To prepare for this exciting development, our team performed site work upgrades for the South and East Campuses including demolition of existing asphalt paving, loading docks and concrete drain structures as well as various concrete features on the existing historic buildings; the relocation of a parking lot; significant re-grading in preparation for new asphalt paving and landscaping; erosion and dust control. As part of a master development in Playa Vista a rigorous master air and water quality control program has been implemented. Situated next to a riparian corridor, the Hercules Campus had additional focus on
ensuring no construction-related runoff impacted the protected wetlands. We implemented and maintained a SWPPP (Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan) with frequent inspections by Playa Capital, the master developer. Use of watering trucks, rock plates and fencing, among other measures, to protect runoff from reaching the endangered wetlands.
New utility upgrades include a new storm system including area and trench drains, bioswales, tie-in of downspouts at existing buildings, removal and replacement of fire line, new domestic and reclaimed water lines, extension of sanitary sewer lines, new electrical service and new conduits for communication lines.