Set within the stunning natural wetlands of TPC Sawgrass, the new Global Home of the PGA TOUR in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida has officially opened. Bringing the entire organisation under one roof for the first time, the building offers an innovative vision for a workplace in a post-pandemic world. Focussing on health and wellbeing, the design blurs the boundaries between the lush landscape and the interior spaces with shaded outdoor terraces and generous amenities that embrace new ways of working and collaboration.

Nigel Dancey, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners, said: “On our very first visit to the site at Sawgrass, we were inspired by the quality of the landscape, the interplay of light and shade and the water. This led to our very first sketches, maximising light and views beneath a generous overhanging roof that creates shaded external terraces and plaza spaces. The building was then set amidst a ‘natural‘ lake on axis with the famous 17th green.”

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. The focus has been on creating a rich experience throughout the building, while enhancing the connections with the surrounding landscape and flooding the building with natural light and fresh air.

The low-slung three-storied structure is nestled within the verdant landscape and surrounded by a newly created lake that defines a dramatic arrival experience. The floorplates are bisected by an atrium that runs the length of the building – the social heart of the building for company-wide events. The atrium is lined with flexible formal and informal meeting spaces along with generous amenities for staff. 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. A grand central stair cascading down the central atrium creates a dynamic spatial and visual flow between successive levels. Flexible workspaces are located on the wide terraces along the atrium and the far ends of the building on the upper floors to support an increasingly mobile workforce. Looking onto the lush landscape surrounding the golf course, the western end of the building contains a new staff café and gym on the ground floor, creating a new social focus for staff.

The glazed façades and atrium fill the building with natural light, also allowing for panoramic views out to the surrounding landscape. The building’s raised floor aims to futureproof the building with the flexibility to change internal configurations over time. The design adopts a simple and understated palette of materials that act as a backdrop to a vibrant and energetic workplace.

James Barnes, Senior Partner, Foster + Partners, added: “The new Global Home for the PGA TOUR has been the product of a true collaboration. Working closely with the fantastic team at the TOUR, we have collectively delivered a building that will allow the TOUR to flourish and nurture its talent. It has been an incredible opportunity for us to realise a complete vision – from the overall orientation of the building to the interior finishes and detailing.

Continuing its fruitful partnership with the TOUR, the practice has begun work on the second phase of the project with the design of a new digital media building that will help create an integrated campus at TPC Sawgrass.

Rising like a platform out of the freshwater wetlands of Northern Florida sits an immense but seemingly half-immersed 187,000 square foot building that serves as the Global Home for the world’s pre-eminent golf organization, the PGA TOUR. Designed by London-based Foster + Partners and built by Tampa-based Clark Construction, the new Global Home has accomplished two of its most important goals: co-locating the PGA TOUR’s 700 employees from across 17 separate locations and embracing the epithet of coexistence with golf’s greatest resource - the ever different and unique landscapes upon which courses are built.

The PGA TOUR’s Global Home is a three-story building bisected by an open-space atrium and complete with offices, meeting spaces, studios for cycling and yoga, outdoor event terraces, and a café. The natural light environment highlights the use of manufactured materials - concrete, glass, and steel - while also showcasing its biophilic design through the aesthetic of wood on the ceilings and walls. Six local artists were chosen to paint the stairwells and canvases, incorporating the personality and history of the greater Ponte Vedra Beach area. 

One of the early design challenges was the wood ceiling. Intended to permeate the office building as well as the exterior multi-purpose spaces, designers wanted to ensure that the layout would not be lost to the ceiling height. At 40’ from ground level on the exterior, traditional wood slat profiles (4” wide) would become nearly indistinguishable from one another, appearing pencil-thin and not meeting the design intent. Of equal concern was the transition of materials from the inside out and the notoriously humid and windy environs of the wetlands of Northern Florida. The design intent called for materials that could withstand the unpredictable weather for the foreseeable future. For the interior, an open design concept adds a sea of sound that reverberates off of hard surfaces, requiring a plan for sound attenuation.

Rulon International met designers with a solution that could solve all of the challenges: Endure™ Linear, a wood-alternative, virtually maintenance-free extruded polymer system perfectly designed for an application such as the PGA TOUR Global Home. UV resistant and wind load tested, Endure™ Linear would meet the needs of longevity and durability for the exterior ceiling. Spacers between slats were omitted in the interior ceiling, replaced by black acoustical sound blanketing, helping to reduce reverberation in the atrium. Providing a wider profile, however, offered an additional challenge.

Traditionally, Endure™ Linear is manufactured in matching profiles to that of its wood alternate. In order to meet the needs of the design team, Rulon International spent six months designing and testing a new die that would allow for 8” wide extrusions. The design and fabrication process was challenging and included 3D samples, internal mock-up reviews, and load testing with the engineering team at Rulon. Once finalized, the newly extruded profile met the same requirements as the remainder of the Endure™ Linear family with the added bonus that it could meet the much-desired wider profile for the exterior spaces at the PGA TOUR Global Home.

During the installation process, additional challenges were met with equal effort. Reveals and junction trims needed to align with window mullions, prompting engineers to design a full ceiling layout. Custom perimeter trims were heat-molded to match column radiuses and provide seamless transitions. Bullnose templates were provided for the Panel Grille walls to ensure that finished radiuses matched the design intent. These engineered solutions helped to simplify the installation process and ensure that the sharp lines and understated textures of the design would concretely remain elegant features of the newly-constructed PGA TOUR Global Home.