Project
Summary

Flewelling & Moody was responsible for the JPL master plan which took into consideration the economic use of JPL land and solutions to parking and traffic conditions that would arise with an increase in personnel. Ralph C. Flewelling suggested to the House Committee on Science and Astronautics that the Jet Lab should build up, not out. JPL actually has little choice in the matter. Peripheral expansion beyond the 171-acre site was limited by the mountains on the north, a private club and school property on the west, the Arroyo Seco on the east and a county park on the south. Many of the buildings took on the form of high rises, replacing temporary facilities. The first constructed building, the Central Engineering Building, designed by the firm is a nine-story, north-facing structure with gray-tinted glass panels to reduce glare. The 100,000 SF steel frame structure utilized precast concrete panels on the east and west ends of the building. Approximately 17,000 SF of glass and 1000 tons of steel were incorporated in the structure. It was built to accommodate 400 people with 10 conference rooms and 250 offices. The firm also built the adjacent single-story 13,500 SF Cafeteria building which houses a kitchen and dining room that seats 400.