• by Laurie Sullivan , January 25, 2016

Microsoft plans to purchase a piece of real estate it has been leasing for the past 15 years in Mountain View, California -- expanding the office park by 515,000 square feet, according to one report.

The redesigned building that puts Microsoft in Google's backyard will accommodate up to 1,000 more employees. The division working from the Bay are focused on Xbox, Outlook, Skype, Yammer, and search.

RNS Studio in San Francisco will design the 6.2-acre complex. The architect's Web site also features designs for Airbnb's headquarters and an Adobe campus in Utah, according to USA Today.

In a letter to Microsoft employees, EVP Qi Lu explains how sustainability, collaboration, and health and wellness are at the center of the design, incorporating features such as team courtyards, easy access to the outdoors, and an onsite gym.

The company still needs to go through Mountain View's permitting process. When approved, construction will begin in 2017 and take three years to complete.