Commanding Energy Efficiency 

The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library (TRPL) sits atop a butte outside of Medora, North Dakota, on the outskirts of his namesake national park in the Badlands. The location is semi-arid and so remote that the city has under 130 residents and is the only incorporated town in the county. These two realities dictated how the 100,000-square-foot complex and 90-acre site approached conservation.

“Many decisions were influenced by having only water and electricity connections,” emphasized Josh Kehrwald, principal architect for JLG Architects, the project’s architect of record. “While there’s no stormwater, sanitary sewer, or natural gas utilities, there is an abundance of space. A geothermal heat well was ideal and covers most of the heating and cooling. It also qualified for a tax credit still available under the Inflation Reduction Act.”

Living Building Challenge stipulates net-positive energy at 105% of annual demand. TRPL employs a regiment of passive elements that bypass the need for mechanical support, from orientation and massing to the high-performance envelope. On-site generation includes a parking lot PV array that produces 20–25% of the energy load.

While the original intention was to pursue Living Building Challenge, LEED and SITES were added later in the process. JLG worked alongside Snøhetta, which served as project lead, design architect, and landscape architect. The teams were resourceful in specifying systems with long-term impacts:

Rammed-Earth Walls

Rammed-earth walls were shaped using a formwork and compressed damp earth composed of local sand, gravel, and clay. They were stabilized with a minimal amount of concrete, which was also sourced within the region. With the appearance of geological strata, the layers reflect the hues of the Badlands. The method is low carbon, long lasting, and durable.

“This is a woefully underused yet incredibly sustainable technology. At 24 inches thick, the walls have significant thermal mass that soften the peaks and valleys of temperature swings,” Kehrwald explained. “They also absorb and release humidity, which is important in a museum.”

“They don’t require finish materials either—they are inherently non-emitting. Eliminating VOCs to protect IAQ is essential to all three certifications,” added Chayna Claeys, sustainability manager for JLG. “The walls are also biophilic, connecting people to the outdoors even as they stand in the lobby.”

Blackwater Recycling

With an average rainfall of around 15 inches annually, water conservation and harvesting are necessities for TRPL. The building is limited to a peak flow of seven gallons a minute, which is on par with residential usage. By contrast, an urban building would typically be sized for 90-100 gallons per minute, according to Kehrwald.

Because TRPL isn’t tied into the municipal sewer, all wastewater is treated on site. Thanks to blackwater recycling, potable water demand was reduced by 50%.

“We accomplished this with a membrane bioreactor. Microorganisms break down organic material inside underground tanks. It is further treated as it passes through filters and disinfected with UV,” Claeys explained. “Once it’s safe for non-potable, it’s used for toilets and sprinklers while surplus water is directed to a leech field.”

Prairie Roof

The TRPL’s wetland roof is another way to honor water scarcity. Curving gently over both building portions, the walkable structure is populated with prairie plantings. Because these species have deep root systems, they grow in 15 inches of native soil. This is roughly three times as deep as the lightweight growing medium used by tray systems on a standard green roof. 

In addition to permeable hardscaping and bioswales, stormwater is handled by eight mesic prairie basins. The prairies, which were created from 4,000 plugs, preserve the natural hydrological cycle. 

“The goal is that every drop of water that falls or flows onto the site does not leave but instead infiltrates into the ground,” Kehrwald stressed. “These natural features will also protect against a future with more droughts, higher temperatures, and stronger storms.”

The vision of TRPL to be “a model of self-sufficiency” is already transforming the market. Over a century after Roosevelt’s passing, his library is demonstrating how environmental stewardship remains a cornerstone of civic engagement.

“Pursuing three certifications at their highest level changed the way we vet materials as a company. When you have to dig into the ingredients, down to 100 ppm, you learn the importance of advocating for documentation,” said Claeys. “But the weight of a presidential library motivated manufacturers to work with us. That’s ultimately benefiting everyone moving forward, especially smaller projects that don’t have this clout.”