Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library

English description provided by the architects.

Opening on July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the United States, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library (TRPL) is designed by Snøhetta as the most regenerative cultural building in the Americas and one of the most ambitious projects pursuing the full Living Building certification, the world's most rigorous environmental standard.

A nearly mile-long elevated boardwalk threads through the restored landscape at shifting elevations, alternating between panoramic overlooks and ground-level immersion, with outdoor classrooms, reflective spaces, and a suspended netted overlook above the terrain.

"Theodore Roosevelt understood that conservation is not simply about protecting land, it is about defining our relationship to the world and our responsibility to future generations.

His conservation ethic emerged from a profound encounter with the American landscape, and we wanted visitors to experience that same sense of discovery.

Rather than placing a building within the landscape, we sought to make the landscape itself the primary act of architecture," says Craig Dykers, Snøhetta Founding Partner.

In doing so, the Library becomes more than a repository of history, it becomes an invitation to engage with the values of stewardship, civic responsibility, and wonder that continue to define Roosevelt's legacy," Dykers continues.

CHOREOGRAPHED PASSAGEWAYS 

Inside the Library, carefully choreographed passageways move visitors between light and dark, echoing Roosevelt's own journey.

Large windows frame historically significant landscapes including views toward Roosevelt's historic Elkhorn Ranch and his legacy of public lands, while skylights draw natural daylight deep into the galleries.

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are - building in the challenging Badlands locale requires strategy and resourcefulness.

The project elevates local materials and relies upon North Dakota know-how to craft a building and landscape made from the Badlands," says Snøhetta's Project Director Matt McMahon.

RAMMED EARTH AND LOCAL MATERIALS 

The material palette is rooted in place: mass timber, reclaimed regional wood, low-carbon concrete, and rammed-earth walls constructed from locally sourced soil whose natural striations echo the surrounding geology.

Local fabricators partnered with national experts to deliver novel assemblies, presidential scale, and ambitious timeline. Material selections eliminate harmful Red List chemicals and are detailed for disassembly, welcoming aging and hands-on use over time.

Our goal was to frame a landscape that invites exploration and discovery while demonstrating that stewardship is not a fixed goal, but an ongoing practice.

In this way, the landscape becomes something to engage with, care for, and learn from," says Michelle Delk, Partner and Landscape Discipline Director, Snøhetta.

THE ONLY LIVING CERTIFIED PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY 

Conservation drives every decision. The Library targets the Living Building Challenge's full Living Certification alongside the highest levels of LEED and SITES, guided by a "Four Zeros" framework:

zero energy, zero water, zero emissions, and zero waste, in addition to full ecological restoration across the 93-acre site. "To honor the Badlands and Roosevelt's legacy, we sought boldness in balance with nature, and a vision beyond 100 years—just as he would have.

Following TR's call for 'honesty and efficiency,' we created a library that works with the land, draws on local wisdom, and will sustain itself for generations to come," says Aaron Dorf, Snøhetta Director and Sustainability and Building design Lead.

Annual land management practices including grazing, haying, and controlled burns are integrated into public programming, inviting visitors to become active participants in the life of the land.