In honor of the 26th President of the Great Life in the United States, known for his commitment to preserve the environment and his lush public person, the Presidential Library of Theodore Roosevelt is building on a butte with a single road in and out of the robust ground of the North Dakota lands, which offer dramatic views of the surrounding multicolors, groups and cannons.
The construction of the structure of $ 450 million in a hard and irregular irregular landscape is a challenge that the team built the library and the museum in a 93 -hectare place in medora, ND, west of the Amphitheater Burning Hills and next to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
“One of the most significant construction challenges has been to navigate the injured land of the North Dakota Badlands, which requires careful planning around access, logistics and environmental protection,” says the TREVOR LEINGANG, Kansas City, Mo., Je Dunn Construction, the construction of 96,000 square meters. It broke the ground in June 2023 and opened on July 4, 2026.
The building was designed by the Snøhetta Architecture firm, which has offices in Oslo and New York. JLG Architecture, founded in Grand Forks, ND, serves as a registration architect. Snøhetta is known for designs that intend to mix natural landscapes with future architecture.
Describing the building, Craig Dykers, a founding partner of Snøhetta, says that “ the main building of the library rises from the Butte, echoing the terrestrial forms of the surrounding area. Visitors are invited on a journey through a landscape preserved of various habitats, scored with small pavilions that provide spaces for reflection and activity. ”
The elements include a walking green roof, large windows, herd floor walls and a campus splashed with walking routes and other public spaces planned to highlight Roosevelt’s natural environment and interest in conservation.
The massive wood was chosen for the project for its ability to store carbon and because it creates a warm and natural atmosphere that connects to the surrounding landscape.
Photo courtesy of Je Dunn Construction
The wood takes the prominence
Timber, who plays an important role in the building, “was selected for its renewable and capacity to store carbon, aligning with Roosevelt’s conservationist values,” says Leingang. “Much of the material is sustainable and prefabricated, which helps reduce waste and supports efficient construction.”
He states that “this approach allows the building to feel warm, natural and deeply connected to the surrounding landscape, a personification of Roosevelt’s belief in preserving and cautiously using natural resources.”
Mercer mass, Spokane, Wash. The structure of the ceiling is built of glulam beams and the wood of the ceilings was designed to support the green ceiling that is planted with native vegetation.
All the structural steel that strengthens the frame, the steel columns and the hangers are lined with the glulawing wood to create a wooden atmosphere.
The library is being built with 1,800 meters of crossed laminated wood and laminated glue wood.
Photo courtesy of Je Dunn Construction
“We have a part of steel, part of the massive wooden building and many of these connections can be complicated,” says Tony Erickson, director of design and construction of the library. “Je Dunn made many visits to the plants [providing the steel and timber] And many models. “”
Leingang agrees that “one of the main complexities of the project lies in the integration of these prefabricated massive wood elements, glam and cross -lined wood, with concrete and steel systems.” He states that “this has required a detailed early modeling, extensive use of BIM and models to ensure accuracy and avoid surprises.”
The western wing of the structure will have 40,000 square meters of exhibition space, a café and a gift shop; The eastern wing will host administrative offices, academic spaces, classrooms and an auditorium of 300 places.
“We have a part of steel, part of the massive wooden building and many of these connections can be complicated.”
—Tony Erickson, Director of Design and Construction, Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library
If the connections between steel and wood had not gone properly, Erickson claims that the cost of the project would have increased and that it extended its calendar, which is considered motionless. The opening date of the building coincides with the celebration of 2026 of the 250th anniversary of the country.
“There is not much margin for this kind of thing [that involve rework] Pass, “says Erickson.
To address the hard ground and equally hard time, Je Dunn “has implemented strategic staging areas, defined by the routes of transport and priority of sensitive landscape management,” says Leingag.
“It’s in a butte and there is only one road,” adds Erickson. “It is very difficult to work throughout the winter. There were days when they were less than 10 degrees and they were still there out of concrete, which was done most of the foundation’s work.”
Leingang says the team has treated the sometimes difficult climate in the region, marked by high winds, temperature extremes and sudden storms, through a flexible approach. “We have created programming buffers, climate-resistant materials and workflows adapted to align with seasonal conditions,” he says.
According to Roosevelt’s lifetime, to preserve the environment and natural resources of America: the former president who held the post from September 14, 1901 to March 4, 1909, was essential when establishing the United States National Park system and often visited Northern Dakota. The project is being sought for the Sustainability Certification of Living Building Challenge, which Erickson says is more demanding than the Leed Platinum certification.
A member of the construction team passes a hand through a wall of the land Bamed inside the library.
Photo courtesy of Je Dunn Construction
The International Institute of International Non -Profit Lives provides certification, which imposes various requirements, including not using materials that contain a banned list of chemicals such as formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds and toxic heavy metals that include arsenic, cadmium and mercury. It also prioritizes local sources for materials and requires sending detailed product data.
“It was a learning curve for both Je Dunn and for us,” says Erickson. “We had to discover the review process.”
In an example, the team worked with Dickinson Ready Mix & Concrete Products, Dickinson, ND, to develop a mixture of lower carbon concrete. Erickson says the type of Portland cement used in the project contains more fly ash than usual, which is a more sustainable solution.
Ben Olin, the head of Company’s combination division, says the combination of cementite used for the project has 70% of recycled materials, including fly ashes and 30% cement.
“In this area it is unknown in this area, west of North Dakota, in a city of 200 people, because it is so aggressive in terms of its replacement rate,” he says.
If the building wins its condition of the Life Building, Erickson says it will be a huge success, as the Museum Library will only be the 36th structure worldwide to fulfill the rule.
Workers pour concrete while a massive wooden wall is installed inside the library.
Photo courtesy of Je Dunn Construction
Keep the labor engaged
In Peak, the project will have more than 150 employees in the site, including carpenters, iron workers, electricians, plumbers, masons, glass, roofs and massive wood installers.
Maintaining the different collaborators of the project on the road is another challenge.
“We have created programming buffers, climate resistant materials and work flows adapted to align with seasonal conditions.”
—Reverge Leing, project manager, Je Dunn Construction
“To maintain clear alignment and communication to all interest groups, we hold weekly coordination meetings of all hands, the usual sessions of the architect-architect-controlist, and use tools such as autodesk and coordination platforms based on models for real-time documentation,” says Leingang.
He adds that the manager of Jobste Daily Huddles and the property owners support transparency and guarantees that all team members remain informed and dedicate themselves to the project that perfectly mixes architecture with ecology.
“This approach transforms the building into more than a structure: it becomes a living dialogue between past, present and future, echoing the versatile legacy of Theodore Roosevelt,” says Leingag.
The manager describes being part of the project as a “unique opportunity in care, not only because of the technical complexity, but also due to the deepest meaning behind it.” According to him, “knowing that we are contributing to a legacy that combines innovation with the purpose is incredibly satisfactory and working with a team of passionate crafts and visionary designers makes all challenges worth it.”
