When Okaloosa Gas District outgrew its aging campus, DAG provided an in-depth facility assessment to determine the best path forward: upgrading the existing campus facilities or building new. Due to the age of the existing campus buildings, some dating to the 1930s, as well as the costs, it proved more feasible to build a new campus—one built in accordance with modern building codes, energy-efficient systems, and cohesively programmed spaces.

The result is a coordinated operational headquarters located on 13 acres. The campus includes a main Administration Building, Operations Building, Fleet Maintenance Building, and Warehouse/Workshop Building.

The highlight of the campus is the Administration Building, designed in partnership with HLGstudio. The building functions as a community hub, with a 300-seat multipurpose meeting space, a full-service kitchen, and a 1,950-square-foot outdoor dining terrace designed for everything from company-wide gatherings to public events. Inside, a monumental stair runs through the heart of the building, offering nodes of private and group spaces where staff can gather throughout the day. Indoor/outdoor connections are integral to the design, with living plants placed in the main spaces to support air quality and promote employee wellness.

The story of natural gas runs through the campus. The building operates on a natural gas-fired energy plant, and a redesigned showroom brings that story to the public through immersive vignettes. There are fire pits on the outdoor terrace and gas fireplaces in common areas. Additionally, a custom pendant light fixture evokes an inverted flame to reinforce the brand identity at every scale. The theme carries through to the Operations Building, which draws on the raw, industrial character of natural gas in its design language, with finishes and materials that evoke a healthy ecosystem.

The Okaloosa Gas campus demonstrates that a utility facility can serve its workforce, welcome its community, and tell its brand story through design.