Hyundai Motors America is rewarding itself for a string of successful years by building itself a brand new $150 million headquarters building. The project actually began last year when Hyundai staff moved out of its not very old headquarters building perched along I-405 in Fountain Valley, Calif. The move allowed for the demolition of the old building, which will be replaced by the new six-story building. The $150 million investment represents he largest amount ever committed to an office building in the U.S. by Hyundai Motor Company. "This new national headquarters represents Hyundai's vision for the future and reflects the innovation and creativity that our brand has come to represent," said Hyundai Motor America CEO John Krafcik. "It also reflects our commitment to invest in and benefit the communities in which we operate around the world."
To help reinforce Hyundai’s green credentials, the building will be LEED-certified, targeting the gold level. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized green building certification process assessing the sustainability of a building's design, construction and operations.
The new headquarters building will be approximately 419,000 sq. ft. and six stories high.  A one-story, 50,000 sq.ft. technical services facility connects to the main building. An adjacent parking structure will also be built on the site.
The building design described as “sleek and modern, yet classic,” and built on a structural pedestal foundation with floating translucent glass floors above. The focal point of the building is its impressive two-story high entrance, which leads to an open-to-the sky public courtyard in the building's center. A showroom of Hyundai vehicles will be visible from the freeway side of the new structure.  Construction of the new building is expected to begin in spring 2012, and is projected to generate approximately 1,530 direct and indirect jobs during the estimated 19-month building process. The building is slated for completion by the fall of 2013.  By Joseph Szczesny