Atelier Ten delivers a holistic sustainability strategy for the newly opened Obama Presidential Center

The Obama Presidential Center officially opened to the public on June 19 in Jackson Park, Chicago, a date that coincides with Juneteenth and brings added resonance to a civic project shaped around history, community, and collective action.

Designed by Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects, the Center is a world-class museum and public gathering space on Chicago’s South Side. Atelier Ten led the sustainability vision for the project, developing an ambitious environmental strategy that reflects the Obama Administration’s work to combat climate change and demonstrates how a civic campus can function as ecological infrastructure within a dense urban environment.

Central to the project is an all-electric and Net Zero Energy approach. Atelier Ten’s analysis informed the high-performance envelope and the incorporation of ground source heat pumps, all-electric kitchen equipment, energy-efficient lighting, and innovative controls strategies. The fossil-fuel-free campus is supported by a campus-wide geothermal system paired with renewable energy to meet 100% of the heating and cooling needs.

“President Obama advanced the climate change agenda from a global perspective, with the Paris Accord and many commitments to environmental protection. The Obama Presidential Center reflects this work. The project is one system that integrates the community, the landscape, and park with an innovative all-electric building into a holistic sustainability approach. It is more than a museum and truly a community resource and gathering place. It is an exemplar for other museums and the community to be inspired and informed towards a more proactive approach to the environment.”
– Nico Kienzl, Sr. Executive Director, Atelier Ten

The project’s location in historic Jackson Park called for an approach that extends beyond building performance. Atelier Ten worked with the design team to develop meaningful sustainability measures to support the building’s integration into the park, enhance ecosystem health, and reduce pressure on local infrastructure. Stormwater is captured, treated and reused on site, reducing strain on Chicago’s overburdened sewer system and saving over 1 million gallons of potable water annually.

Aligning with the Sustainable SITES Initiative certification, the landscape incorporates more than 900 native and climate-resilient trees, pesticide-free landscapes, biologically rich soils, pollinator-friendly plantings, and bird-safe, non-reflective glass. The Center features over two acres of accessible green roofscape, extending the parkland atop the building, reducing heat island effects, and reducing stormwater runoff.

Within the building, Atelier Ten worked to optimize interior spaces for thermal and visual comfort, daylight, and artwork preservation. The interior courtyards and façade were refined to bring daylight into office spaces, while museum apertures were carefully designed to provide useful daylight and visual comfort while protecting artifacts and artwork.

The Center is pursuing ILFI Zero Energy, LEED Platinum, Sustainable SITES Initiative certification, and the WELL Health-Safety Rating. As it opens on Juneteenth, the Obama Presidential Center stands as both a neighborhood amenity and a major cultural institution, with environmental performance supporting its broader civic purpose.

All photos courtesy of The Obama Foundation