The first chapter of Theodore Roosevelt’s North Dakota story may have started with a game hunt in 1883, but his second trip to the Badlands captured the country.
Nearly 140 years later, on May 30th, 2023, JLG Architects—a firm founded in North Dakota—dug into the Badlands with a world-class team of experts and contractors committed to the bold vision of a mutual client; to break ground at the site of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library (TRPL) near Medora, ND. Prepared to leverage their experience across the region’s most difficult projects, the employee-owned firm was selected as TRPL’s Architect of Record three years earlier. JLG effectively guided the complex execution of earthen walls, contoured, accessible roofing systems, and prairie restoration — complementing the interactive exhibits inherent to Roosevelt’s legacy of conservation.
Meet Me in Medora
Presidential Libraries are more commonly constructed in large metropolitan cities, which is why Medora (pop. 160) doesn’t exactly fit the mold. To be selected as the site—over Roosevelt’s home state of New York—was monumental, requiring the diligent lobbying efforts of the TRPL Foundation and state leaders.
While New York may hold much of Roosevelt’s archival legacy, Medora holds the transformational chapter that rewrote Roosevelt’s life and set the stage for his Presidency. To build the Library within the boundaries of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park site is to anchor it in the very terrain where his conservation vision was first forged.
Ultimately, having this project built in North Dakota allowed the process and project to reflect the dichotomies of Roosevelt. A team of New York designers, paired with North Dakota-born and raised executors, worked in partnership across geographies, backgrounds, and perspectives. While JLG Architects leveraged the firm’s strong relationships with local communities, they also collaborated with a large and diverse national and global team; establishing trust overcoming years of monumental, shoulder-to-shoulder challenges.
“Our architects have worked on projects in this remote and rugged region for decades — we’re intimately familiar with rural jurisdictions, complex soils, optimizing wind, and responding to this climate,” said JLG Architects’ Principal and Community Practice Studio Leader, Jennifer Burke Jackson, AIA, LEED AP. “JLG has some of the best architects and visionaries in the country in terms of solving complex design challenges and uniting a team and common vision. At our core, we believe rural communities like Medora are equally deserving of good design and the impact of meaningful creativity on daily life.”
A Transformative Experience
Roosevelt’s love for North Dakota’s “great free ranches” and nature’s “perfect freedom” reinforced his life’s dedication to conservation of our country’s natural resources. He would later remark, ”I have always said I would not have been President had it not been for my experience in North Dakota.”
JLG Architects is helping translate Theodore Roosevelt’s legacy into a transformative visitor experience that goes beyond traditional museum and library design. Drawing on 37 years of architectural expertise and the specialized knowledge of its Cultural and Sustainability Studios, the firm worked closely with the TRPL Foundation, Snøhetta (Design Architect and Design Landscape Architect), Confluence (Landscape Architect of Record), and JE Dunn (Construction Manager) to ensure TRPL embodied the values Roosevelt championed: Conservation, Leadership, and Citizenship.
TRPL is designed to advance civic dialogue, inspire thoughtful debate, and unite conservation ideals from around the globe. To amplify the experience, visitors are invited to embark on a journey that mirrors Roosevelt’s own — encouraging everyone to “Dare Greatly, Think Boldly, Live Passionately, and Care Deeply.” Through immersive storytelling, advanced digital library technology, and sustainable architectural practices, the Library becomes a catalyst for personal and collective transformation.
Visitors to TRPL will walk in the shoes of Roosevelt, learn about the man behind the presidency, and experience the land that catalyzed his enduring conservation message. With a little Midwest magic, visitors will also be able to walk through the door of Roosevelt’s Badlands log cabin, or at least a replica of it, constructed in Blue Rhino Studio’s 16,000 square foot facility in Eagan, MN.
“I grew up in the heart of rural North Dakota, where the landscape and community shaped my values and vision as an architect. JLG Architects’ deep North Dakota roots and longstanding relationships made us uniquely suited to serve as Architect of Record for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. Our team understands the spirit of the Badlands and the significance of this place — not just as a backdrop, but as a living, breathing part of the story. Standing on a living roof in the Badlands, looking out to where Roosevelt first stepped off the train, I am reminded that TRPL is more than a building; it is a transformative experience that rises from the land itself. The Library is a reflection of our commitment to honoring local heritage, fostering stewardship, and creating spaces that inspire future generations to cherish and conserve our most valued resources.” —Michelle Mongeon Allen, FAIA, LEED AP | CEO, JLG Architects
Sustainable Innovation
From the ground up, JLG’s team is pioneering the next century of conservation through extraordinary feats of sustainable integration in both construction and design. The Library is pursuing several legendary firsts, bolstering its goals to be a ‘living library,’ embrace the Badlands, honor ecological systems, and become a model for sustainable living.
To accomplish these goals, JLG’s Sustainability Studio has spearheaded strategy for full Living Building Challenge (LBC) certification; the first in North Dakota and a first amongst presidential libraries nationwide.
“TRPL is set to achieve three concurrent certifications at the highest level, including LBC, LEED Platinum, and SITES Platinum,” said Chayna Claeys, AIA, LEED AP, LFA | JLG Sustainability Manager. “Once the doors open and the LBC performance period has commenced, TRPL will be a ‘living’ building and brilliant example of energy independence – making more energy than it consumes.”
Doing What Has Never Been Done Before
TRPL’s environmental goals are driven by the TRPL Foundation, with design and construction partners carefully selected to match the Foundation’s ambition. JLG has been instrumental in organizing and leading a team of experts to do what has never been done before, all while navigating the project’s complexities to meet unique budget and schedule requirements. This collaborative platform bridges global expertise with local talent, setting a new standard in sustainable materials, including the integration of mass timber, rammed-earth walls, and a specialized low-carbon concrete mix developed specifically for this region by Winn Construction and Beton.
At TRPL, its rammed-earth walls are designed to echo the complex geology of the North Dakota Badlands, including layers of natural soil, sand, and gravel compacted into solid, stone-like walls with visible horizontal strata. These walls, constructed by Winn Construction and Earth Wall Builders, are not just naturally stunning, they’re also energy efficient, locally sourced, and built to last centuries with minimal upkeep.
“For JLG Architects, it is an extraordinary honor to be the regional leader redefining what is possible on a global scale — in cultural, sustainable, and collaborative design. TRPL stands as a beacon for conservation, innovation, and transformation — inviting visitors from around the world to experience the power of place and the enduring impact of a 143-year conservation vision that is even more relevant today.” — Jennifer Burke Jackson, AIA, LEED AP | JLG Principal, Community Practice Studio Leader
The Native Plant Project
As the local Architect of Record, JLG helped the team navigate the national park site’s stringent environmental compliance standards for zoning and land use, including a net increase in grazing area and quality. These efforts built on the values of a rural, resource-limited site, adhering to the pioneering ideals of Roosevelt’s conservation efforts and the everyday efforts of local farmers and ranchers. The project also required acquisition of funding for North Dakota State University labs in exchange for greenhouse space to aid in native plant restoration.
“This particular site was an opportunity, yet also a challenge, impacted by climate change, droughts, fires, and overgrazing,” added Claeys. “A prairie wildfire actually swept through the site in the spring of 2021, leaving behind a blackened carpet of grass and brush. In this case, fire is less destructive and more restorative, providing a reset for natural prairie ecology.”
To kick-start nature’s evolution, teams of volunteers, ecologists, and landscape architects devoted the last four years to restoring the native prairie through germinated seeds, along with managed grazing plans and increased native plant diversity for the development of healthy natural soils, carbon sequestration, and resilient landscapes. From this local genotype, TRPL is creating a seed bank to help others restore their prairies.
A Living Library
TRPL’s nearly 100-acre remote site is an ideal introduction to conservation of natural prairie ecology, offering immersion into its majestic plateaus, jagged peaks, rolling prairies, and intertwined riverscapes. Today, the Library is the landscape, delicately emerging from its naturally derived contours.
The walkable and ADA-accessible rooftop invites visitors to follow the growth of over 400,000 native prairie plugs that have been hand-collected and planted on the TRPL roof and bioswales. The prairie boardwalk connects visitors to the Library’s landscape and scenic views with a plaza and seating lawn, a bridge, a sunken path, a grassland pause, a sweeping overlook, and a shaded trailhead.
When TRPL opens on July 4, 2026, its mass timber and rammed-earth walls will usher in an immersive, ever-changing experience — one that invites visitors to discover new perspectives with every season. From this unexpected corner of the Badlands, a world of inspiration will ripple outward, connecting people across the globe through the enduring legacy of curiosity and future-forward stewardship.
