The badlands of North Dakota, much like a library, are rich with story. The layers of mineral deposits visible in the buttes and hoodoos that make up the region are like raconteurs of the ancient inland seas, floodplains and volcanic ash that once covered the area 28 to 75 million years ago. But while the badlands are now cherished for their beauty and history, they were given that name long ago for a reason. They’re rigid, arid and harsh––a beautiful place to visit, a difficult place to traverse.

But in the 1880s, when Theodore Roosevelt arrived in the region, he saw something different. To him, the Badlands became a place of reflection, introspection, healing, and deep connection to nature. In fact, Roosevelt said his time in the North Dakota Badlands was one of the foundational experiences of his life. And so, it was fitting that the area would become the home of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. And that’s where the architecture and design firm Snohetta comes into the picture.

Not only did the team see the rich story embedded in the landscape, they saw various pathways to connect people to TR’s legacy and the historical significance of the land, while restoring the diminished ecology of the Badlands prairie. It was likely this vision and deep respect for the landscape that contributed to Snohetta being selected out of some 40 other candidates.

From that point, the team embarked on an ambitious journey that would entail a rigorous set of sustainability goals––zero energy, zero water, zero emissions, zero waste––a number of firsts and the creation of the Native Plant Project.

It’s been said that the badlands are a great place to learn about geology, and that, in large part, was where Matt McMahon, director of landscape architecture, and Aaron Dorf, director of architecture at Snohetta, started their journey.