First renderings have been revealed of the new Foster + Partners-designed PGA TOUR global headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The proposed building will be consolidating workplaces of the more than 750 employees who currently occupy 17 buildings throughout the area, and provide enough capacity to accommodate several hundred more.

From the design brief: "Located to the south of TPC Sawgrass, the new 187,000 square-foot headquarters 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."

"The bulk of the office space within the building is located on the upper two floors, two bar massings which flank a central atrium. 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."

"The signature feature of the new building is the expansive roof canopy, which floats above the office structure, connective atrium and exteriors terrace spaces. The canopy acts to contain and protect from the powerful Florida sun, while providing natural light deep into the massing and breaking down the visual barriers between outside and inside.  Cascading through the office space and atrium, the wood soffit and its materiality pulls the exterior landscape right the way through the building. Five heroic skylights punctuate the central atrium with natural light and a visual dynamism as the light and shadow dance across the space from dawn to dusk. ETFE (Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene) is used, as a light weight alternative to glass, to provide a frameless expression along the nearly 60ft openings.  While the skylights provide an abundance of light into the atrium space below, four solar fins are calibrated to provide necessary shading to the north office space at critical points during the day. The fins also conceal the steel subframe of the skylight above and integrate lighting and mechanical devices for the ETFE units. It is also envisioned that the roof will accommodate a series of photovoltaic panels that will support the building’s energy needs. Allied to the principles of biophilic design, sustainability remains a key focus of the project, with the building targeting a LEED Gold rating."

Completion of the building is scheduled for 2020.