Every good business person knows that employee retention can make or break a company. Research has determined that job satisfaction and employee happiness are directly correlated to the amount of time a worker will spend with a company. This idea of employee fulfillment is often discussed and analyzed by corporate America, but rarely are solutions implemented beyond the meeting rooms. That is until Capital One approached HOK to develop their new 71 acre corporate campus, just minutes from the airport in Tampa, Florida.

Capital One took the fundamental idea of "employee satisfaction leading to a lower rate of turnover" and put it into practice in their new campus. The campus operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and sustains a 3,000-person work force. The development program for the site consists of four low-rise office buildings, an employee community center, outdoor recreation facilities, walking and jogging trails and two parking garages. The process began in October 1996 with interactive design dialogue. A four phase construction schedule was then developed for the facility, which began in March of 1997. Teamed with King Engineering and Hardin Construction, HOK and the two companies completed construction of the project in February 2001.

The corporate campus offers plenty of engagement opportunities with the adjacent wetland. The buildings were situated to offer plenty of light and spectacular views out every window. All four of the free-standing office buildings and the community center were built in a circular orientation surrounded by 20 acres of wetlands, including a 10 acre "cypress dome" as a central focal point. The wetlands serve as an active part of the hydrology management plan by receiving storm water from retention ponds at the rear of each building. These ponds filter runoff prior to release into the wetland, and serve as a landscape amenity for group seating and dining. At the front door of the complex, the ponds not only filter stormwater run-off, but are designed to create a strong corporate image and first impression.

Employees can also interact with the wetlands when they move from building to building. Though the walkway is completely enclosed to offer protection from the sun, rain and ever-present mosquitos, a light and airy atmosphere was achieved through the use of glass panes, perforated metal panels, and a stretched canvas roofing system. For those who would like a closer encounter with the wetlands, a 400 foot wooden boardwalk cuts a meandering path through the middle of the wetland.

Lee Pollock, ASLA and associate with The HOK Planning Group, revealed that they had two design goals for the facility. "The primary purpose of this campus was to provide an environment that kept employees on site," explained Pollock. The idea was simple. Spending extra money on creating a desirable atmosphere was cheaper than constantly training new employees. "Financially it just made sense to provide amenities on site," added Pollock.

Secondly, Capital One wanted to engage employees with the surrounding ecosystem and to educate them about it. A series of boardwalks, covered walkways and educational signs lead pedestrians through the wetlands as well as teaching them about the environment. As a result, through the guidance of the planning process, management representatives realized that they had the opportunity to incorporate typical community attributes and an environmental interface into a state of the art work environment.

EMPLOYEE RECREATION

The elevated boardwalk tucks into the central wetland and connects to the covered walkway.

Capital One wanted a site that would excite its employees and reduce employee turnover. With that in mind, the design team constructed a recreational area that included both active and passive facilities. The complex includes a baseball/softball field, tennis court and a volleyball court. A 1.5 mile jogging track also runs around the back of the campus. The facilities are lit to encourage employee use.

Dual purposes went behind the construction of a Tai Chi field. The convex field is equipped with benches and walkways to offer a serene relaxation zone. Primarily, Capital One uses the field to offer scheduled Tai Chi classes for employees, instructing them on the Chinese developed relaxation system. However, the Tai Chi field is also used as an alternate site for team meetings and corporate functions.

If employees want to exercise during poor weather, they can make use of the indoor facilities located in the community center. The center includes basketball, racquetball and volleyball courts along with a workout area filled with weights and exercise machines. In addition the center houses a full cafeteria where people can order almost anything.

Transitional gardens were planted behind each building to create gathering spaces during employee breaks. Pollock describes the gardens as "high touch" areas that consist of ornamental plants mixed with native plant materials. Each garden has a soft surface path built out of a coquina shell walking surface and a couple benches that are situated to overlook the wetlands and adjacent lakes.

EMPLOYEE CIRCULATION

The covered walkway provides connections to all the buildings and leads to the community center and "sun porch."

In response to the subtropical Florida climate, covered walkways connect buildings and parking with the central wetland and recreational facilities. Since the area can receive up to 60 inches of rain in a year, covering the walkways allowed movement through the campus without being subjected to the ever-present weather conditions. Burdair, commonly used in covering dome structures, was used to cover the walkways. Since the walkways provide glass window for further protection, ceiling fans were installed to circulate the air. Running along the outskirts of the central wetland, the covered path provides access to each of the buildings.

"We needed to move the employees around efficiently," Pollock explained. So to prevent employees from having to walk around the entire campus, the pedestrians may use an elevated boardwalk that cuts through the heart of the interior wetland. "The experience going from building to building is much different than your typical corporate campus," Pollock admits.

EMPLOYEE SAFETY

To add incentive to use the recreational facilities, the site offers various safety features. All recreational facilities are well lit for night use. To keep the other areas lit, bollards are placed along walkways and around the buildings. Coupled with the lights, security cameras are mounted throughout the campus. The cameras keep track of any activity that might pose a threat to a person's safety.

Measures were also taken to keep all walkways free from automobile traffic. Each walkway runs on the interior, shielding walkers from potential hazards. Even the lengthy jogging track was designed so that no part of it comes in contact with any roads.

ENVIRONMENTAL PRESERVATION AND EDUCATION

HOK's Master Plan illustrates the circular arrangement of buildings surrounded by wetland vegetation. The plan also shows the location of the central wetland with adjacent retention ponds, the enclosed walkway, the wetland boardwalk, the Tai Chi field, and parking facilities.

The predominant features of the design revolve around the natural wetland area. Preservation was important to both the HOK Planning Group and Capital One. "I guess you could say that it would have been fairly easy for us to just plow the wetland areas down and mitigate," explained Pollock. That was not the idea though. "We came up with the concept of having the buildings go around the wetlands and using them as a natural amenity."

One way that they engaged the wetlands as an active amenity was with a "sun porch." Attached to the Community Center, the Florida "sun porch" sits directly adjacent to the central wetland allowing employees to feel as though they are eating lunch in Florida's natural environment. From the "sun porch", people can gain access to an interpretive trail system that runs from the recreational facilities, past the Community Center and leads to the other end of the site. The trail provides a source of education throughout the site; a concept Capital One enacted in hopes of teaching employees and more about their surroundings. The aluminum signs, erected along the trail, give environmental information about the wetland ecosystem. Topics address issues relating to the microclimate, flora and fauna of the site.

A more intimate encounter with the wetlands was achieved with an elevated wooden boardwalk. Stretching 400 feet in length and weaving through 10 acres of interior wetland, the boardwalk provides an area for employees to relax and familiarize themselves with the area. Elevating the boardwalk gave the natural plants below access to direct sunlight. In continuing with the emphasis on education, interpretive signs were also placed along the boardwalk.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Climate was a major influence in the design process. Since Florida as well as many other states stress water conservation, steps were taken to deal with this issue. Bahaia grass was used extensively around the wetland areas due to its low water requirements. This created less need for irrigation throughout the campus. Landscaping around the buildings, the baseball/softball field, and Tai Chi field were the only areas that required irrigation.

Stormwater runoff from the buildings is also collected in retention ponds before being released into the wetlands. These ponds serve not only as another way to conserve water, but the series of lakes created by the retention system adds a positive visual appeal to the campus.

INNOVATIVE MATERIAL

The outdoor recreation center combines softball, tennis, and volleyball into one facility and serves as the trail head for the soft surface jogging/walking track. The areas are well lit and the track is placed so that no part comes into contact with vehicular traffic.

Certain areas on the campus needed more character than what cement slab walkways could provide. As an alternative to regular walkways, the design team implemented coquina shell walkways around transitional zone gardens and paths that encompass the Tai Chi field. The coquina shells are crushed and compacted, resulting in a firm walking surface with a visual appeal that matched the environmental theme of the site.

The jogging track would also become a playground for modern technology. Fast Track soft surfaces were used for the 1.5 mile long track. The surface is comprised of recycled car tires, making it more comfortable for walking or running. Furthermore, because the Fast Track uses recycled car tires, the track is environmentally friendly.

AWARDS

In 1997, the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP) handed out the "Outstanding Office Building" award to the project. The award was given for exhibiting a compatibility with the natural surroundings and a harmony with its location. The Georgia Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) recognized the project with both the People's Choice Award and the Merit Award for Commercial Design for the work done by the HOK Planning Group. Just this year, the project again received honors with the 2001 "Future of the Region Award" given by the Tampa Bay Regional Council.

CLOSING

The lakes incorporated into the campus serve not only as a visual amenity, but as a practical tool for the environment. Each lake collects stormwater runoff. The lakes then serve as a filtering system where the water is controlled and released into the wetlands.

Since employee morale can often determine the success of a company, many companies are beginning to see the value of recreational facilities on site. HOK, King Engineering and Hardin Construction collaborated their efforts and were able to build a corporate campus that was sensitive to the issues at hand. They were able to build modern facilities that fit into an environmentally rich area, further enhancing the effect created at the Capital One campus in Tampa, Florida. "The wetlands definitely play a predominant role in the site from education to natural resources as well as stormwater management," noted Pollock.

Altogether, the concept was to create a productive work environment that featured facilities that could be used by employees outside of work. "Capital One wanted their employees to learn more about the environment," said Pollock. "I think that it all works pretty well. It turned out as good, if not better than we all planned." LASN