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In sales engineering, two important factors are intensive dialogue with clients and partners, and good coordination on the construction site. Tim is a specialist in both. However, it wasn't always clear that he would end up in the formwork sector. His original plan was to work for a structural design company. When he stumbled across a job advertisement from PERI, he wanted to learn more and was immediately convinced during the interview. 'The engineer I spoke with sold me on the idea, saying, "You basically get the equivalent of five years of construction exposure in your first year at PERI because we get you involved." And that’s exactly what happened. I got out in the field, and I was able to talk to clients and sales professionals from the start,' says Tim.
As an Engineering Director in Sales, he is now responsible for formwork construction in the western region of the USA and has established a name for himself. Every now and then, construction companies call him directly because they need a formwork specialist. His favorite project, the theatre at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, was one such case. 'We had already successfully completed several projects with our client, Morley Construction Company, in the past. That's when they became familiar with our engineering expertise. As with every follow-up project, it was important for me to further develop and strengthen this relationship,' he says.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is the largest museum in the USA dedicated to the arts, sciences and artists of filmmaking.
Special projects require specific system solutions
The extraordinary theatre building was designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, renowned for his innovative and visionary designs, in collaboration with the local architectural firm Gensler. Located in the heart of the Miracle Mile district in Los Angeles, the building is part of the museum quarter and houses a theatre for 1,000 guests. Built in 2017, just 8 kilometers from where Tim grew up, this theatre holds special significance for him. "It was nice to be back in my old neighborhood more often, which brought back childhood memories," Tim reminisces. What also makes the project special is its unusual spherical shape made of concrete and glass. With a diameter of around 46 meters and a weight of 11,000 tonnes—roughly the equivalent of 10 small cars—the structure floats almost 4 meters above the ground, supported by just four concrete columns.
Tim Cruz
Engineering Director, USA
I’m focused and objective-driven – every conversation I have with a client or a colleague will always have a purpose. There will always be a topic to discuss.
"I'm involved in many challenging projects, but this unusual shape was on another level. We had never worked on a building with these parameters before. So, in the beginning, most of my meetings started with, 'Tim, is this even buildable? And if it is, how on earth are we going to do this?'" he explains. Comments like these only motivated him further to give his all for clients and partners—especially with a complex structure like this. Since the construction of the sphere required it to function as a whole, sufficient supports were needed to carry its enormous weight. As a result, the entire range of PERI systems available in the USA was used for the theatre's construction. "This also included solutions that our engineers in the western market had planned for the first time. For example, the VST heavy-duty towers, which can transfer large loads at a central position. This system was a real help for the construction crew, given the heavy concrete masses," says Tim. The HD 200 heavy-duty props were also used for the first time. These props can be assembled without tools and can support loads of up to 200 kN.
The spherical theatre with its elegant glass roof is supported by just four concrete columns – a structural challenge that was solved thanks to our formwork expertise and our systems.
Being a great partner for the client – no matter how big the challenges may be
Our client didn’t just need the right systems; they also needed a consultant, a partner, to help them understand the best way to construct the project. To fulfill that role, Tim spent a lot of time on-site, ensuring he was always up-to-date and knew what needed to be done next. This intensive collaboration with everyone involved in the challenging theatre project was unique. Meetings with the client took place twice a week for six months. During this time, Tim not only communicated regularly with his engineering colleagues, who worked tirelessly on 2D models, but also with the national structural engineering team in Chicago, who handled the calculations. He even stayed in contact with his international colleagues at PERI Headquarters in Germany, who conducted the analyses and applications for the VST heavy-duty tower. Weekly meetings were also held with the assembly team, safety inspectors, and logistics. "There were hardly any people involved that I didn’t speak to. Even for me, that was something new," says Tim.
In addition to our formwork solutions, one thing was important for the realisation of the complex structure: a close partnership with our client.
The need for intensive dialogue stemmed primarily from one key factor: the strict delivery schedule. "Sixty percent of our systems were prefabricated in our local warehouse and had to be transported to the construction site. However, with limited storage space, trucks were arriving every 30 minutes. It was like a choreographed dance," says Tim. He and the team relied on excellent negotiation and coordination skills to manage material deliveries. As a result, we played a central role in both the logistical planning and ensuring the overall schedule stayed on track.
Another major challenge was ensuring that the systems were not overloaded during construction. Around 250 heavy-duty columns and towers needed to be precisely calculated and positioned to maintain the building's balance. To address this, special sensor technology was integrated to monitor the active load on each support. Once part of the sphere was concreted, the equipment had to be dismantled in a specific order. "This was critical. Dismantling the systems in the wrong order could overload others. It caused me many sleepless nights. When I was on-site twice a week, my first question was always: Is the load still balanced? Thankfully, thanks to our calculations, it always was," says Tim.
The completion of the theatre marked a significant milestone in the history of the film industry. Today, the architecturally sophisticated building not only offers visitors a unique experience but also serves as a celebration of the evolution of film.