The new 187,000 square-foot headquarters, designed by Foster + Partners, will be nestled within the verdant landscape and surrounded by a large freshwater lake, echoing the iconic ‘Island Green’ 17th hole at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course.
Envisaged as the new Global Home of the PGA TOUR, the innovative building embraces new ways of working and collaboration in response to changing media landscapes and audiences, as the TOUR looks towards the future, acording the statement by Foster + Partners.
“Inspired by the lush greenery of TPC Sawgrass and the beautiful Floridian light, the new PGA TOUR headquarters is designed as an extension of its surrounding landscape. As the Global Home of the PGA TOUR, it brings the organization under one roof for the first time, and signifies the progressive spirit of the TOUR.” explains Nigel Dancey, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners.
Over the past few decades, continued growth of the PGA TOUR has forced expansion to multiple buildings with offices spread throughout Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Augustine that is no longer conducive to the evolving nature of its work. The new building will consolidate all area staff under one roof and embody a sense of openness and transparency, with flexible, open floorplates that are non-hierarchical, focusing primarily on collaboration and mobility at the workplace. The focus has been on creating a richer experience throughout the building, while preserving its connections with the surrounding landscape and flooding it with natural light and air. Nature plays a key role in the design, which incorporates principles of biophilia – an inherent affinity for nature found in humans – that is proven to enhance staff wellbeing and improve the quality of the workplace.
“As we strive to reach an increasingly diverse, more global fanbase and position the PGA TOUR for future success, we must be equipped to meet the ever-changing landscape in international business, media and technology. Moving forward with this beautiful new global home in Ponte Vedra Beach will allow for more creative, efficient collaboration among our staff and partners, and will set us on the right path toward achieving our goals as an organization,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner, Jay Monahan.
The two building bays are connected by 20-foot-wide bridges that encourage chance meetings, and allow for informal gatherings along the edges, without impeding the flow of people. Similar flexible workspaces are located on the wide terraces along the atrium and the far ends of the building on the upper floor, catering to the need for flexible workspaces to support an increasingly mobile workforce.
Allied to the principles of biophilic design, is the sustainable focus of the project, with the building targeting a LEED Gold rating. The roof has five large skylights that bring natural light into the building. Its extended overhang on the building edge significantly reduces solar gain on the glazed façades. It is also envisioned that the roof will accommodate a series of photovoltaic panels that will support a portion of the building’s energy needs. Employee wellbeing is a central theme with a raised floor that allows for maximum flexibility and premium air quality, site-wide recycling facilities and a 1.3 km running track in the midst of natural woodlands.
