Location
Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
The new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library is an inspiring center for exhibition, education, and events.
Design Architect
Role
Design Lead
Responsibilities
- Managed design team's work on Library's East Wing, a 30,000 square-foot new construction featuring a premiere 300-seat auditorium, education and event spaces, and administrative offices
- Coordinated work of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and structural engineers within the architectural design, concealing all technical building systems and focusing the visitor experience entirely on the dramatic architecture and landscape
- Told story of East Wing design with client group via visual diagrams, 3D digital model prototypes, and immersive VR experiences
- Served as BIM Lead for internal team, managing Revit model practices
- Oversaw the selection of healthy building materials to achieve Living Building Challenge certification for the project
No items found.
Background
Situated on the edge of a butte within the Badlands of North Dakota, the new Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library captures the legacy of T.R. while also making a commitment to the longevity of its location. The design includes not only the library facility but also a preserved 90-acre landscape of diverse habitats, punctuated with paths and pavilions for visitors to explore.
The building embodies T.R.’s values of citizenship, leadership, and conservation through its architecture. Seeming to emerge from and intertwine with the landscape, the design engages public paths around, over, and through the building via a fully accessible roof and open breezeway. Major public spaces of the library line the breezeway with sweeping glass facades for maximum visual continuity. A store and lobby space look out beyond the edge of the butte at a seemingly endless Badland landscape. At the south end, a cafe and a classroom space look back to the butte itself.
The construction of the building uses locally sourced and renewable materials, while sophisticated energy systems set a new standard for sustainable design in the region. The building’s siting also mitigates the impact of wind so that the Library will be accessible for all seasons.
The design team includes architects, landscape architects, engineers, ecologists, and more. The design process has required collaboration across more than a dozen disciplines in addition to stakeholders in the institution.