Hyundai Motor America

Hyundai Motor America Building

by Megan Pham-Le

 

             The Hyundai Motor America building, a project by the architectural design firm Gensler, is situated in Fountain Valley, California. It was completed in 2013 and is finished at 6 stories high and 504,000 sq ft. This commercial building is seeking a Gold LEED certification with its impressive list of sustainable materials and products.

             The structure will house a showroom of Hyundai’s vehicles which can be seen

from the 405 freeway. Adjoined to the main building is a one story, 50,000 square foot technical services facility. In addition to the Hyundai Motor America lot is a free-standing parking structure. Once inside, the entrance and lobby are seen to be two stories high.

             The façade of the building is made up of four major wall types. On floors one and two, the walls are made of captured channel glazing supported by a continuous stainless steel channel on either side by the head and sill. Custom curtain wall for levels three through six make up about 135,000 square feet of the space. This curtain wall is made up of 900 panels of 5’ x 10’ custom designed, large insulated glass. Its layers of glass is each comprised of performance coatings and grit, which is a ceramic composition that provides solar, light, and acoustical benefits. White grit “speed lines” in the glass help provide solar shading by reducing the heat that comes through.

            Its south, east, and west elevated walls is composed of laminated, insulated low-iron glass with enhanced acoustical properties. This will help make the glass cleaner and clearer while still being energy efficient and  maximizing the daylight penetration. The north wall of this space has insulated low iron glazing.

             The centerpiece of this architectural art is the two story atrium in the south most elevation. It  leads to an open air public courtyard at the center of the building. Surrounding this open space is point-fixed laminated glass at 3/4” by deep glass fins at 18” structurally supported by stainless steel fittings and splice plates. The building’s optimal energy efficient glass is still a beautiful sight that provides a view of great clarity for those looking in and out.

             The building shows its sustainability prowess even further by recycling water from the site’s landscaping and its rooftop garden. The energy consumed by the use of the building is also cut down due to its efficient use of light and energy. Recyclable materials used in the construction of the building will be recycled in the future.

              Its fire lane access is built with Grasscrete, a LEED attributed concrete installed with biodegradable molded pulp formers. This system allows for emergency vehicle access, storm water runoff management, and heat island effect reduction. The sub-base and concrete of this material also uses recycled content along with the application of Grasscrete. The type of grass used in this system is UC Verde Buffalo grass, which has drought tolerant capabilities.

The Buffalo grass can actually flourish on as little as 1/4” thick of water once a week (in some locations). With its awe inspiring design, the Hyundai Motor America building is sure to receive the Gold LEED certification.