On designing a presidential library | Craig Dykers | TEDxFargo

Introduction

• The common stereotype of architects is that they spend their days creating something from nothing, surrounded by glasses of red wine and wearing black outfits, but this is only somewhat true and obscures the actual relationships that creative designers have with the things they create (10s).
• Creative ideas are often thought to be born in a flash of genius, but the truth is that the process is much more nuanced, programmatic, and careful in how it understands the things that need to be made (40s).
• Inquiry is a crucial part of the design process, and asking the right questions is more important than getting the right answers, as the wrong question will likely lead to the wrong answer (1m1s).
• Different types of questions can lead to different outcomes, such as unique questions that lead to more questions, questions that require interpretation, and questions that are personal or work better in other languages (1m20s).
• Some questions can help gain perspective and see things in a new way, which is important in the design and creativity process (2m3s).

The Commission and Initial Inquiry

• The commission to design the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Western North Dakota led to questions about what a Presidential Library is, how it can serve a president who is no longer living, and why it is located in North Dakota (2m15s).
• The design process for the library involved inquiry and led to the idea that the library could be about grass, which is an important part of the region's history and future (3m0s).

Questioning Traditional Approaches

• Traditional Presidential Libraries tend to be formal and stoic, but the design team questioned whether this was the right approach for the library in North Dakota (3m28s).
• Theodore Roosevelt's connection to North Dakota, despite being from New York, was an important consideration in the design process, as he visited the state many times and had a significant history there (3m56s).

Theodore Roosevelt's Connection to North Dakota

• Theodore Roosevelt grew into a young man, forming close connections with his first wife and mother, but they both died on the same day, Valentine's Day, due to separate diseases, leaving him despondent (4m44s).
• Friends suggested he return to North Dakota, where he had previously visited, to find himself in the vast landscape and wilderness, which ultimately led to the building of the library in the state (5m10s).
• Theodore Roosevelt was a voracious reader, consuming hundreds of books a year, and also "read" the landscape as he moved through it, bringing together the narratives of landscape and literature (5m50s).

Designing a Living Space

• The library's design aimed to create a living space that would move forward into the future, placed within a thoughtful and authentic landscape, rather than a traditional museum-like setting (6m21s).
• To develop a deeper connection with the site, the designer walked alone through the badlands for 10 days, experiencing the solitude and natural beauty of the area, which informed the design process (6m56s).

Connecting with the Site

• Upon returning to the site, the design team found non-native plants, including the salsify flower, and had to consider how to create an authentic landscape for the library (7m31s).
• The team used an intuitive approach, collecting rocks and creating models, to open up their minds and develop a deeper understanding of the site and its natural features (8m1s).
• The design of the presidential library was inspired by two soft pebbles and a leaf found along the Little Missouri River, which represented the community center, museum, and connection between the two (8m22s).

The Building's Form and Placement

• The building's design was envisioned as two pebbles and a leaf, with the silhouette fitting well into the landscape of the Badlands, featuring beautiful buttes, mesas, and bluffs (9m1s).
• Upon visiting the site, it was decided to move the library to one side to preserve the prairie and natural phenomenon, allowing the building to frame the landscape from the edge of a bluff (9m51s).
• The library's placement would create an interesting approach, where visitors would see the prairies first and then the library as they move along a boardwalk, with the building peeking out just over the bluff (10m17s).

The Boardwalk Experience

• The design was influenced by Theodore Roosevelt's life and the slower pace of movement by foot or horse, aiming to slow down visitors and allow them to experience nature in a different way (10m35s).
• A loop boardwalk was built around the site, allowing visitors to experience the landscape in different ways, with the boardwalk's flat surface contrasting with the varying terrain (11m1s).
• The boardwalk's design helps visitors see things in a new way, with their body position constantly taking in the position of the landscape (11m27s).
• A complete life-size, one-to-one model of the boardwalk was created to test the design (11m34s).

Understanding the Prairie Landscape

• The site for the presidential library was analyzed to understand its relationship with the surrounding landscape, specifically the Prairies of the great North American landscape, which are vast and one of the greatest ecosystems on the planet (11m54s).
• The Prairies were once home to massive mammals, such as horses, mammoths, mastodons, and sabertooth tigers, which built the landscape over a million years, but human occupation has altered the terrain, creating unnatural fuel conditions (13m5s).
• The altered landscape has led to uncontrolled fires, which are often mistaken for wildfires, but are actually a result of human changes to the environment (13m51s).

Revitalizing the Site

• To revitalize the site, a controlled burn was proposed to burn off the deteriorated soil, but the community rejected the idea due to safety concerns (14m24s).
• However, a thunderstorm with a lightning bolt later ignited a fire on the site, burning down the unwanted vegetation, which was seen as a useful and miraculous event (14m43s).
• The fire created a habitat for birds and other creatures, and the next step was to replant the site with seeds, but the specific nature of the seeds that originally grew there was unknown (15m18s).

Replanting the Prairie

• To address this, a collaboration with North Dakota State University ecologists was established to understand the ecosystem and replant the site with the correct seeds (15m29s).
• A seed collection project was initiated with the help of ecologist Rez, JG, and community members to collect seeds from prairie grasses, which are being dried, cleaned, stored, and germinated through the NDSU system for use by ranchers and the community (15m36s).

Collaboration and Community Engagement

• A circular calendar was created to curate conflicts between nature and human activity on the site by mapping out events and activities throughout the year, taking into account important natural events like grouse mating season (16m21s).
• The project was extended to include discussions with tribal Nations, who provided valuable information and insights, and the project will ensure connections to their Nation lands, experiences, and economy (17m4s).

Learning from Tribal Nations

• The tribal Nations taught the designers about their unique perspective on directions, which includes up and down in addition to the traditional four directions, and this concept is being incorporated into the design of a pavilion (17m33s).
• The pavilion will feature a highly polished stone that reflects the stars in the sky, allowing visitors to see both up and down at the same time (17m47s).

Library Features and Design

• The library's design includes a rooftop area for stargazing, swings for recreation, and a covered area with a Children's Center and community center to the right and a museum to the left (18m10s).
• The library's lobby features majestic walls made of solid earth from the surrounding areas, allowing visitors to touch and feel the earth that the building came from (18m38s).

Rethinking Representation

• The question is raised whether it is necessary to use outdated modes of civilization to represent who we are today, especially in the context of presidential libraries and the places we work within (19m1s).
• Ancient architecture from Greece and Rome is admired, but it is suggested that something new can be created that has a natural condition and is just as representative of the power of politics and the people (19m18s).

A New Approach to Building

• A shift in approach is proposed, where instead of prioritizing people and then fitting nature in, we start with nature and invite humans into the picture (19m38s).
• This approach is believed to lead to a more stable way of building the future, and it is emphasized that managing human nature is crucial before trying to manage Mother Nature (19m54s).