The architects behind Teddy Roosevelt’s presidential library—the first to use a mass timber and steel hybrid frame—have finalised the design of it’s sloping roof. It comes as crews start erecting enclosures to protect the site from North Dakota’s harsh winter – continuing work on the facades and interiors before work begins on the roof in Spring.
That is according to Snøhetta – the architects behind the project, dubbed by the New York Times as “among the most sustainable cultural institutions in the world” – who revealed the first construction images inside the library yesterday.
“Our design is informed by the president’s reflections on the landscape, his commitment to environmental stewardship, and the periods of quiet introspection and civic engagement that marked his life,” said Snøhetta, who noted that most of the wooden cladding and rammed-earth walls at the library’s main entrance have now been finalised. “The design functions in harmony with the region’s unique ecology and expresses the conservation ethos for which Roosevelt is remembered.”
Located just outside Medora, North Dakota, Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States, was born in New York but held property and served in administrative roles in the state. Comprising a long, narrow structure built into the rolling Badlands of North Dakota, with a central passageway – including several exposed mass timber elements – running through the centre of the structure.
Wood Central understands that Mercer Mass Timber, one of North America’s largest timber manufacturers, is providing more than 1800 cubic metres of cross-laminated timber and glulam ahead of an expected grand opening on July 4th, 2026, in time for America’s 250th birthday.
In October, Wood Central revealed that work on the library started last year – with representatives from Congress and donors signing off on the final beam in August, a symbolic gesturing marking the halfway point of construction: “We are on track, we’ve had, knock on wood, great weather, and that’s enabled us to, with that mild winter, to be ahead of schedule on a lot of things,” said Matt Briney, chief communications officer for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.
For Snøhetta, the project aims to achieve environmental harmony: “The ambition of the project’s design can be broken down into four categories: zero energy, zero emissions, zero water, zero waste,” the team said. “This approach relies on a carefully calibrated combination of passive strategies and active technologies throughout the site and building.”
- To learn more about the Presidential Library, click here for Wood Central’s special feature, including an interview with Nick Milestone, the Vice President of Building and Construction for Mercer Mass Timber.
