Obama Foundation Architect Selection RFQ

THE OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER
Contents
INTRODUCTION
About this document
02
About the Foundation and the Center
04
Our Mission
06
The work of the Center
08
Guiding Principles
10
About the two potential sites
15
PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES
Brief history
22
Operation
23
Statutory authorities
23
Map
24
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Timeline
26
Response content
28
Response submission requirements
29
Resources and contact
31
About the document
31
INTRODUCTION
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

This Request for Qualifications (hereafter RFQ) is the initial stage
in a structured process to identify a firm to provide architectural
design services for the Obama Presidential Center (hereafter OPC).
This document is also intended to serve as a source of inspiration
for respondents by conveying a set of guiding principles consistent
with the Presidents legacy and the aspirations of The Barack
Obama Foundation.
INTRODUCTION
About the
Foundation
and the Center
The Barack Obama Foundation (hereafter
operate the OPC, including the City of
Foundation) was officially established as
Chicago, the National Archives and
an operating, 501(c)(3) nonprofit corpo-
Records Administration (NARA), and
ration in January 2014. The Foundation is
the University of Chicago. In the coming
governed by a volunteer board of directors
months, the Foundation expects to enter
chaired by civic leader Martin Nesbitt.
into an agreement with the City of Chicago

by which the City commits to make either
The Foundation will be responsible for all
the Jackson Park or Washington Park site
aspects of the design and construction
available to the Foundation for develop-
of the OPC, including raising the entirety
ment of the OPC.
of the funds needed for construction

of the project. The OPC will include a
The Foundation and NARA will work
library holding the Presidential archives, a
together to develop the Barack Obama
museum focusing on the Obama Presi-
Presidential Library and Museum as part of
dency and issues of our time, and space for
the OPC. When construction is complete,
programs and initiatives that advance the
the Foundation will transfer control of the
Foundations public mission. In May 2015,
Library and Museum portions of the OPC
the Foundation announced plans to build
to NARA, which will operate both along
the OPC on the South Side of Chicago on
with the 13 other Presidential Libraries.
one of two potential sites: Jackson Park or

Washington Park.
The University of Chicago has pledged

staff time, expertise and temporary office
The Foundation will collaborate with a
space to the Foundation to support the
number of organizations to develop and
OPCs development.
INTRODUCTION
Our
Mission
From the very beginning, President Obama
takes many years and requires each
has asked all Americans to join him in
generation to embrace the obligations
the work of expanding opportunity in a
and opportunities that come with the
global age, improving the health of our
title of Citizen.
communities, protecting our children from

the dangers of climate change, and looking
The Foundation will inspire the next gen-
beyond military force alone to promote
eration of young leaders all over the world.
peace, justice, and dignity throughout the
It will convene the brightest minds with
world. As First Lady, Michelle Obama has
the newest ideas from across the political
worked to help our children lead healthier
spectrum and draw strength from the rich
lives, encourage students to reach higher,
diversity and vitality of Chicago, the city
and ensure that our service members, vet-
where the President and First Lady started
erans, and their families can thrive. Above
a family and raised their daughters.
all, the President and the First Lady have

asked each of us to do our part to make
But most of all, the Foundation will ask
real Americas founding promise, that we
all of us to take on big challenges and to
are all created equal and free.
believe that we can meet them together.

Our history and President Obamas legacy
Together, we have made extraordinary
give us hope that even the most difficult
progress in meeting these challenges.
change is possible, and the Foundation
And this work will live on in the Foundation
exists to carry on that great, unfinished
because there is still more left to do.
project of renewal and global progress.

.
As President Obama has said, the change

we seek will take longer than one term or
one presidency. Real changebig change
INTRODUCTION
The
work
of the
Center
In order to achieve the Foundations mission of inspiring and empowering people to take action on
the big challenges of our time, the OPCthrough
Library, Museum and Foundation programswill
seek to.
Inform visitors about our civic rights and responsibilities and inspire citizens to get engaged.
Empower individuals who are leading change

around the world, and help develop new ways
to enable all citizens to take action.
Connect people from different communities and

disciplines to create new approaches to solving
our biggest challenges.
Translate new ideas into concrete actions that

will have a measurable impact, enlisting partners
across all sectors to scale what works.
CENTER ACTIVITIES & FUNCTIONS

Given the Foundations mission and model,
the OPC should be designed to accommodate a variety of activities and functions:
Presidential archives storage and
management
Public engagement with and access to
Presidential records
Interactive and immersive museum about
the office of the President, President
Obama and his administration, and the
issues of our time, with both permanent
and temporary exhibits
Research and programmatic collaboration among academics, practitioners,

and community leaders
Convenings of activists, thinkers, and
leaders
Training and educational programs
Labs for talent of all types to innovate
and share their work
Indoor and outdoor events and
performances
Live and recorded video production
Community gardening
Individual reflection and meditation

Sports
Healthy dining for visitors
Retail of merchandise related to the
Presidency and the mission
Dining events
Presidential Suite for President and
Mrs. Obama
Offices for OPC and Foundation staff
10 INTRODUCTION
Guiding
Principles
The following are Guiding Principles for the development
of the OPC. The principles are organized into three distinct
but interrelated sections.
11
CORE
The Core principles apply mostly to the site and

physical facility of the Center. They are concerned
with factors that impact space planning, character
and quality of architectural design, site planning,
ongoing operations and maintenance, and inclusive
economic development.
CORE addresses tangible components of

the site and facility; it also deals with the
economic development impact of the OPC.
PROGRAM captures principles most closely

associated with President Obamas time in
office and the future work of the Foundation.
CONTEXT situates the project in relation

to community stakeholders.
Economic Engine
Encourages smart, sustainable,
and inclusive economic growth
Anchors public and private
investment
Celebrates and leverages existing
community assets
Civic identity is shaped by
community
Functional
Rational, purpose-driven design
Attentive to site, infrastructure, and
existing urban fabric
Efficient in systems, materials, and
operations
State-of-the-art archives and museum
Cost-effective
Accountable & Performance-Driven

Responsible steward of the environmentimmediate and global
Energy-efficient building
Exceeds LEED Platinum standards
Sustainable practices
Embodies principles of biomimicry
to create a living building
Identified as part of the fabric of

the community
Flexible & Forward-Thinking

Agile, flexible, and relevantcontinually
reinventing itself
Accommodates a variety of uses
Is technologically responsive
Uses best practices in sustainability,
technology, and operations
Exercises leadership and foresight,
anticipating change
Technologically Advanced
Extends digital footprint
Next-generation platform
New models for social interaction
Can adapt with changes in technology
Unified Design Vision

Consistently expresses design principles,
mission, and vision
Aligns with programmatic goals
Communicates a clear and coherent
message
Integration of site and building design
12
INTRODUCTION
THE OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER 13
PROGRAM
CONTEXT
Principles in the Program section pertain to the

mission and vision of the Foundation. They consider
the ways in which the legacy and values of President
Obama may be manifested through the OPC.
Principles in the Context section deal with the interface

between the OPC and its communitylocally, regionally,
and globally. This set of principles considers the many
connections between the OPC and its communities.
Authentic
Represents ideals of the Obama campaign:
respect, empowerment, and inclusivity
Health & Well-being

Promotes a healthy, wholesome
environment
Inspirational
Emotionally resonates with visitors
and the surrounding community
Engagement
Accessible to people of all ages, abilities,
backgrounds, and socioeconomic status
Represents and explains the

presidential legacy
Contributes to a cleaner, safer planet
Ethically forthright
Supports a healthy lifestyle
Inspires an ethic of citizenship
Nurtures the next generation
Reflects and reinforces the Obama

legacy
Fosters intellectual discourse and

disagreement
Emits a spirit of optimism and hope
Tells a compelling, accurate story about

the Presidents life, service, and vision
Empowers visitors to create change

and make a difference
Approachable and immediately resonant

with visitors
Prizes and responds to audience needs

Provides real-time, immediate
connection
Innovative
Incubates new ideas and approaches
Nurtures thinkers, artists, activists, and
change agents
Creates a space for investigation and
experimentationcivic, technological,
and academic
Interfaces with social sector startups
Partners with other organizations to

share ideas, resources, and audiences
Empathetic and respectful of other

viewpoints
Celebrates community character

Articulates a compelling, shared vision
Generates discourse and dialogue
Informs and engages policy debates
Global
Creates a new international destination
Serves as a gateway to other cultural,
civic, and academic resources in the
region
Establishes a global network to communicate ideas and aspirations
Collaborates with like-minded
institutions around the world
Purposeful
Attuned to programmatic needs and
symbolic significance
Welcoming & Transparent

Open and welcoming to all visitors,
physical and virtual
Each element responds to a central idea
Clear and accessible communication

with constituents
Accommodates reflection, exploration,

learning, and conversation
Focused on serviceto visitors, local
and international communities, and
the nation
Actively advances intellectual and

cultural openness
Uses collective intelligence and social
media to collaborate with people
Intellectually honest and rigorous

Expects and promotes academic
excellence
Facilitates scholarly research as well
as informal learning
Fosters a climate of intellectual
curiosity and openness
Reveals the complexity and inspiration

of the office of the President
Civic
Communicates the ideals of
democracy
Inquiry
Welcomes individual expression and
multimodal learning
Connected
Hub of physical and technological
networks that enable exchange and
collaboration
Serves as a dynamic visitor destination
for national and international visitors
Extends a compelling virtual presence
through digital media
Sited in an easily accessible, multimodal
transportation environment
14 INTRODUCTION
About the two

potential sites
CHICAGO LOOP
MUSEUM CAMPUS
MCCORMICK PLACE
JACKSON PARK AND

WASHINGTON PARK
When they were planned, todays Jackson
DUSABLE MUSEUM
and Washington Parks, linked by the Midway
U. OF CHICAGO
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE
& INDUSTRY
Park. Jackson Park was not developed
ground owned by all citizens and open
for another few decades. Architect Daniel
to all. Olmsteds vision was to revitalize
H. Burnham spurred the development of
communities and enrich peoples lives.
Jackson Park when he suggested it as the
Plaisance, were known simply as South

Park. The famed landscape architects
Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux
published a design for South Park in 1871,
during an era when the residents of the
South Side of Chicago dwelled in everything
from stately mansions to overcrowded
tenements. Olmsted and Vaux conceptualized South Park to be egalitarian, therapeutic, and restorative; an embodiment
WASHINGTON PARK SITE
of the philosophy that parks were common
site for the 1893 Worlds Fair: Columbian

Formal gardens, a conservatory, ponds
Exposition. He and his partner, John Root,
and lagoons, islands and peninsulas, and
designed and oversaw the construction
a stately promenade helped construct an
of the Fair. South Park attracted not only
elegant setting. A herd of sheep, whose
the local community, but also visitors from
grazing made lawnmowers unnecessary,
around the world. An astonishing 27 million
once populated a large meadow that now
people visited in the six months of the
accommodates baseball diamonds and a
Worlds Fair.
running track. Recreational options were in

abundance lawn bowling, boating, horse-
In 1880 the South Park Commission named
back riding, archery, baseball, tobogganing,
the eastern and western divisions of the
golf, swimming, and more. There was even
Park, creating two distinct locations named
a small zoo.
after United States Presidents Andrew

Jackson and George Washington. These
JACKSON PARK SITE
In the 1870s, Horace William Shaler Cleveland
parks, Jackson and Washington Parks, are
oversaw the construction of Washington
being considered as the potential sites

for the OPC.
16
INTRODUCTION
SITE DETAILS
Area: +/- 21 acres
Boundaries: Cornell Avenue to the
east, Stony Island Avenue to the west,
60th Street to the north, 63rd Street
to the south
Existing Land Use: parkland, track
and field facilities, baseball field
Accessibility:
0.2 miles from METRA Electric
commuter rail line station
0.5 miles from Lake Shore Drive
Accessible to the Chicago Skyway,
which connects to the Dan Ryan
Expressway and the Indiana Tollway
Combined 76.3 million trips near
the site annually
Jackson
Park
Jackson Park reflects Chicagos legacy
the year, and La Rabida Childrens
of large, inspirational community parks.
Hospital, which is a replica of Spains
Occupying more than 500 acres, it is the
La Rabida Monastery.
third largest park in the city. Jackson Park

still has a number of its Worlds Fair legacy
Todays Jackson Park is bursting with
assets and attractions. The Palace of Fine
activity. The park boasts tennis and bas-
Arts building has become the Museum of
ketball courts and a lawn bowling course;
Science and Industry. Also remaining are
three harbors with yacht clubs; three public
the Golden Lady statue, which is a smaller
beaches; a bird-watching trail; bike paths
version of Daniel Chester Frenchs Statue
and walking trails; the historic 63rd street
of the Republic and which originally stood
beach house; an 18-hole golf course that
at the base of the Fairs Court of Honor,
was the first public golf course in the
the Wooded Island and its famed Osaka
Midwest; a driving range; and organized
Garden, the North Pond Bridge, where one
sports leagues.
can observe area fishermen throughout
18
INTRODUCTION
SITE DETAILS
Washington
Park
Washington Park, consisting of 372 acres,
sculpture, the Fountain of Time, welcomes
still contains many of the assets of its
drivers and pedestrians from the con-
earlier years the meadow now hosts a
necting Midway Plaisance on the eastern
thriving baseball league and soccer players;
end of the Park. One can still ride horses
the Refectory provides a place for Chicago
along the original bridle path. The Park
Park District (CPD) and resident-sponsored
holds outdoor concerts, dances, movies,
activities; the South Park Commission
and arts and culture festivals. Family picnics
administrative office building is now home
and reunions are a common sight.
to the DuSable Museum of African American History; the archery space is adjacent
Where once opening day at the Wash-
to the old Washington Park Race Track
ington Park Race Track started with a
stables, now a part of the DuSable Muse-
parade in the Park, today the Bud Billiken
ums Roundhouse expansion; the lagoon
Parade, a community celebration attended
and gardens contribute to the aesthetic
by over a million people annually, ends in
and the ambiance; and the old Olympic-
the Park. During Labor Day weekend, the
size swimming pool has been converted
Park is home to the African Festival of the
to an aquatics park. A CPD building, the
Arts, a 4-day extravaganza that attracts
Washington Park Fieldhouse, features a
thousands of visitors and vendors from
fitness center and two gymnasiums. The
around the world to participate in this
CPD also operates basketball and tennis
celebration of African and African
courts. Lorado Tafts famous concrete
diaspora culture.
Area: +/- 33 acres (22 acres of

Washington Park and 11 acres on
the city grid)
Boundaries:
S. Ellsworth Drive to the east,
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to
the west, 51st Street to the north,
Garfield Boulevard to the south
(22 acres)
Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to the
east, Prairie Avenue to the west,
54th Street to the north, Garfield
Boulevard to the south (11 acres)
Existing land use:
Parkland (22 acres)
Gas station, vacant property
(11 acres)
Accessibility:
Steps from the CTA Green Line
Garfield station
Less than a mile from CTA Red
Line Garfield station
Less than a mile from I90/94
Expressway
Combined 133.1 million trips near
the site annually
20 INTRODUCTION
MUSEUMS IN THE PARK

& MUSEUM CAMPUS SOUTH
Chicagos cultural aesthetic is shaped by
its motto Urbs in Horto, a city in a garden.
Appropriately, its 11 major museums are all
In the Park and the parkland that surrounds
Industry, just north of the Jackson Park site,
them gives each institution a sense of
is the easternmost institution. The DuSable
majesty, a connection to outdoors and
Museum of African American History,
open space, and a connection to the city
which lies in Washington Park and is one
and its citizens.
of the nations first museums dedicated
located in parks the Adler Planetarium,

the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago
History Museum, the DuSable Museum
of African American History, the Field
Museum, the Museum of Contemporary
Art, the Museum of Science and Industry,
the National Museum of Mexican Art, the
National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts
& Culture, the Peggy Notebaert Nature
Museum, and the Shedd Aquarium.
Collectively, they are known as Museums
to African American culture and history,

Closer to the two potential OPC sites, a
is at the western boundary. In between
group of cultural institutions have formed
are Frank Lloyd Wrights Robie House, the
Museum Campus South. These museums,
Logan Center for the Arts, the Oriental
all of which are located within the adjacent
Institute, the Renaissance Society, and the
neighborhoods, are frequent collaborators
Smart Museum of Art, all of which are on
that have joined together to not only
the campus of the University of Chicago.
serve the surrounding communities more

effectively, but to market the institutions
to the rest of the city, the region, and
the world. The Museum of Science and
22
PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES
THE OPERATION OF PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES

Presidential Libraries carry out a mandated
dedication of the library by friends of the
tions to communities across the nation.
program to preserve, process, and make
President.
They have unparalleled research collections
available their archival holdings. This

program implicitly calls for public outreach
museum and public programs, provide
and educational programs. Foundation
know it today has evolved from simple
researchers, students, and the general
support is critical in order to provide the
beginnings.
public a rich opportunity for understanding
broadest spectrum of innovative and

insightful programs in each library.
Presidential
Libraries
his Library in his hometown. Today,
individual Presidents, the historical context

in which they lived and served, and the
nature of the American Presidency.
Libraries are most often located in places
their web sites, and the scholarship they
more associated with some aspect of his
Over the years, the Presidential Libraries
promote benefit in significant ways from
adult life or career, and they often involve
have become Presidential Centers, which
private organizations established to
partnerships with universities and other
include not only the Library holding the
support such programs. In several cases,
organizations with a commitment to the
Presidential archives, but also a museum,
these organizations evolved from bodies
Librarys mission.
mission-oriented activity and programming
original library building. In other instances,

these organizations were formed after the
As cultural and educational institutions, the

Libraries make unique and vital contribu-
space for the Presidential Foundation, and

other amenities like retail and dining.
PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY STATUTORY AUTHORITIES
In a democracy, records belong to the
and federally maintained Libraries. The Act
to donate their historical materials to the
people, and for more than seven decades,
encouraged other Presidents to donate
Government for housing in Presidential
the NARA has preserved and provided
their historical materials to the government
Libraries managed by NARA.
access to the records of the United States
and ensured the preservation of Presi-
of America.
dential papers and their availability to the
The Presidential Records Act of 1978
American people.
established that the Presidential records

that document the constitutional, statutory,
Franklin Roosevelt, and the Presidential
Under this and subsequent acts, more
and ceremonial duties of the President are
Library system formally began in 1939 when
Libraries have been established. In each
the property of the United States Govern-
he donated his personal and Presidential
case, funds from private and nonfederal
ment. After the President leaves office,
papers to the Federal Government. At the
public sources provided the funds to build
the Archivist of the United States assumes
same time, Roosevelt pledged part of his
the Library. Once completed, the private
custody of the records. The Act allowed for
estate at Hyde Park to the United States,
organization turned over the Libraries to
the continuation of Presidential Libraries as
and friends of the President formed a
NARA to operate and maintain.
the repository for Presidential records.
construction of the Library and museum
Until 1978, Presidents, scholars, and legal
The Presidential Libraries Act of 1986 also
building.
professionals held the view dating back
made significant changes to the rules
to George Washington that the records
governing future Presidential Libraries,
created by the President or his staff while
including requiring private endowments
non-profit corporation to raise funds for the
In 1950, Harry S. Truman decided that he
Early on, each President typically located
Presidential Libraries, their museums,
chartered to raise money and construct the
A BRIEF HISTORY OF PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES
NARA was established in 1934 by President
which, when combined with a public

The Presidential Library System as we
too would build a Library to house his
in office remained the personal property
linked to the size of the facility. NARA uses
Presidential papers and helped to galvanize
of the President and were his to take with
these endowments to offset a portion of
congressional action. In 1955, Congress
him when he left office. The first Presiden-
the maintenance costs for the Library.
passed the Presidential Libraries Act,
tial Libraries were built on this concept.
establishing a system of privately erected
NARA successfully persuaded Presidents
Presidential Libraries Act of 1955
Presidential records are owned by the
Presidential Libraries Act of 1986*
The Presidential Library system functions
United States, not by the President.
This act amends the Presidential Libraries
under the authority of the Presidential

Libraries Act of 1955 (44 U.S.C. 2108). This
Act authorizes the Archivist, on behalf of
the United States, to:
Accept for deposit the papers and other
historical materials of a President and
similar materials relating to the President
that are in the custody of other persons.
Accept land, buildings, and equipment
offered for its establishment of a Presidential Library.
Maintain, operate, and protect the library
and its holdings. Observe restrictions on
access to the historical materials that
have been set by the donors and agreed
to by the Archivist.
Provide for the exhibit of museum items
to the public.
The Archivist is to take custody of the

records when the President leaves office,
and is to maintain the records in a Federal
depository.
The PRA stipulates that the public cannot
request access to Presidential records for
a period of five years from the end of
an administration, after which they may
request access under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA). NARA will review
the records to determine if they must
be withheld under FOIA exemptions or
additional PRA restrictions that a President
may apply for a 12-year period.
Vice Presidential records are also owned
by the United States and are administered in the same manner as Presidential
Presidential Records Act of 1978
records, but they may be placed either
The Presidential Records Act of 1978, as
in an existing Federal depository or in a
amended (44 U.S.C. 2201-2209) (PRA)
non-Federal depository approved by the
took effect on January 20, 1981.
Archivist of the United States.
Act of 1955 in regard to the following

points:
The Archivist must issue architectural
and design standards for Presidential
Libraries.
The Archivist may solicit as well as
accept gifts or bequests for the purpose
of maintaining, operating, protecting, or
improving a Presidential Library.
The Archivist must establish separate endowments within the National Archives
Trust Fund for each Presidential Library.
Income to each endowment shall be
available to help defray the cost of facility
operations, but not the performance of
archival functions.
The Archivist must assure that an
endowment is available to help defray
the cost of operation before he accepts
a Presidential Library. If the NARA-operated portion of the building is larger
than 70,000 square feet, an additional
endowment, calculated at a higher level,
is required.
* This act has been amended to update the endowment requirements. Regarding any President who takes the oath of office for the first
time on or after July 1, 2002, the endowment must be equal to 60 percent of the cost of the land, facility, and equipment
24 PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARIES
Map of current
Presidential Libraries
in the NARA system
A
Herbert Hoover
Presidential Library & Museum
West Branch, Iowa | 47,169 SF
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Hyde Park, New York | 108,750 SF
Harry S. Truman
Independence, Missouri | 96,612 SF
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Abilene, Kansas | 109,254 SF
John F. Kennedy
Boston, Massachusetts | 134,293
Lyndon B. Johnson
Austin, Texas | 139,267 SF
Richard Nixon
Yorba Linda, California | 55,373 SF
Gerald R. Ford
Ann Arbor & Grand Rapids, Michigan
104,764 SF
Jimmy Carter
Atlanta, Georgia | 85,592 SF
Ronald Reagan
Simi Valley, California | 147,400 SF
George H.W. Bush

College Station, Texas | 116,527 SF
William J. Clinton
Little Rock, Arkansas | 152,122 SF
George W. Bush
Dallas, Texas | 210,864 SF
E
B
H
A
M
K
F
More information on each Presidential Library can be found in the A Shared Destiny site
selection RFQ issued in March 2014. The RFQs can be accessed at
http://www.barackobamafoundation.org/i/ObamaFoundation_RFQ.pdf
26
Request for
Qualifications
The process of selecting a firm(s) to provide
architectural design services for the future OPC
will include an RFQ phase and a Request for
Proposal (RFP) phase. The RFP will not require
a full design competition effort as part of the
candidates submissions. It will, however, require
a defined, limited effort from each candidate to
present creative ideas in response to the Foundations project goals and site information provided
in the RFP. The Foundation does not anticipate
announcing the architect until after a contract
has been executed in early 2016.
TIMELINE
Week of August 24
RELEASE RFQ
Late 2015
RELEASE RFP
Distribute RFQ to architectural firms
Distribute RFP to selected respondents

Notify respondents of meeting date with
September 16
RESPONSES TO RFQ DUE
Firms submit responses to the Foundation

Fall 2015
REVIEW RFQ RESPONSES
Evaluate responses
President and First Lady select firms to
participate in the RFP phase
the Foundation
Invite firms to visit the proposed site(s)
Late 2015 / Early 2016

REVIEW RFP RESPONSES
Evaluate responses
RFP respondents meet with the Founda-
tion
Selected RFP respondents make presenta-
tions to the President and First Lady
Negotiate contract terms with shortlisted
finalists
President and First Lady select architect
for the OPC
28
RESPONSE SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Format and Delivery
All responses should be received

no later than September 16, 2015
at 5:00 p.m. Central Time.
Length: Please limit your submission to 40 pages
(i.e., 20 sheets on each side)
Number of copies: Submit 6 hard copies
Size: 8.5 x 11 bound
Send response books to:
Robbin Cohen
Executive Director
The Barack Obama Foundation
300 East Randolph Street, Suite 4030
Chicago, IL 60601
Please also digitally upload your response to
RESPONSE CONTENT
act.barackobamafoundation.org/RFQ-response
Please respond with a statement

of your qualifications based on the
following questions.
different from the future OPC. In this section, please also indicate
whether your firm is an architectural firm that provides full basic
architecture services, or a design firm that would partner with an
architect of record for the provision of full services for this project.
1. A letter expressing interest in this project. Feel free to comment

specifically on why the OPC may be an appropriate project for
your firm and include any other information that you feel would
be relevant to the OPC and would assist us in the choice of an
architect.
2. A general profile of your firm, with attention to how you
approach projects of this type. Please list the names of up to
ten of your noteworthy projects, which we know may be quite
they will be able to comply with Illinois licensing requirements for

persons offering architectural services in the State of Illinois.
3. A description with photographs and/or drawings of at least

three and no more than five relevant projects that your firm has
Please respond only with the information requested, and please do not
provide any designs, sketches, or
conceptual ideas for the building
at this time. Responses that include
these will be disqualified from further
consideration.
Any parties submitting responses to this RFQ should ensure that
completed that demonstrate your ability to create and execute a

design that meets the goals of the OPC as expressed in this RFQ
General Conditions of RFQ Submission

Confidentiality of submissions: The Foundation will maintain
document. A minimum of two of these projects should be the
the confidentiality of each respondents submission to the RFQ.
work of key team members who will be assigned to this project.
Exchange and/or disclosure of the submission and/or information
One of these projects should be one of the lead designers
found thereon to persons and/or other parties shall only be made
favorite projects, and should include an explanation as to why it is
as necessary to conduct the RFQ process and/or as required by
one of his /her favorite projects.
judicial or administrative investigative demand.
4. Client references for the projects described in question #3 above,

along with current client contact information.
5. The names and resumes of the members of your firm, including
design partners and project managers, who will play key roles in
this project.
6. Specific examples of your firms efforts to achieve diversity and
integrate MBE, WBE, veteran and other underrepresented firms.
7. Identification of the single point of contact for your organization
with whom to communicate during the selection process, along
with his or her contact information.
Ownership of Submissions: Upon presentation, the Foundation

shall be granted sole ownership of respondents submission and
any and all common law, statutory and other reserved rights
including, but not limited to, the right to make and retain copies
and to reuse the contents.
Selection at the discretion of the Foundation: The Foundation
shall select, in its sole, absolute and unreviewable discretion, those
respondents that shall advance to the RFP process.
30
RESOURCES AND CONTACT
ABOUT THE DOCUMENT
Additional information is available on the
All rights reserved. This document or any
websites of NARA and the Foundation. The
portion thereof may not be reproduced or
Foundation will respond to all inquiries on a
used in any manner whatsoever without
timely basis.
the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations
For questions, please contact The Barack
in a book review.
Obama Foundation:
The content of this document is based on
Robbin Cohen
multiple sources. The Foundation gratefully
Executive Director
acknowledges the agencies, organizations,
robbin@obamapresidentialfoundation.org
and individuals who contributed source

materials.
Further Reference
Consistent with past Presidential Libraries,
Photo Credits
NARA requires Presidential Foundations
p. 4-10 credit: White House; p. 18-19 Uni-
to follow its architecture and design
versity of Chicago, Tom Rossiter; p. 20-21
standards. Please refer to NARA Directive
University of Chicago, Tom Rossiter
1571: Architecture and Design Standards

for Presidential Libraries, Revised August
This document was printed on post-
2014 at http://www.archives.gov/foia/pdf/
consumer recycled paper in the United
nara1571.pdf.
States of America.
For additional questions regarding NARA

Standards, contact: library.planning@nara.
gov
32

Obama Foundation Architect Selection RFQ

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THE OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

About the Foundation and the Center

The work of the Center

About the two potential sites

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Response submission requirements

Resources and contact

About the document

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

THE OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

THE OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

operate the OPC, including the City of

Foundation) was officially established as

Chicago, the National Archives and

an operating, 501(c)(3) nonprofit corpo-

Records Administration (NARA), and

ration in January 2014. The Foundation is

the University of Chicago. In the coming

governed by a volunteer board of directors

months, the Foundation expects to enter

chaired by civic leader Martin Nesbitt.

into an agreement with the City of Chicago

The Foundation will be responsible for all

the Jackson Park or Washington Park site

aspects of the design and construction

available to the Foundation for develop-

of the OPC, including raising the entirety

ment of the OPC.

of the funds needed for construction

The Foundation and NARA will work

library holding the Presidential archives, a

together to develop the Barack Obama

museum focusing on the Obama Presi-

Presidential Library and Museum as part of

dency and issues of our time, and space for

the OPC. When construction is complete,

programs and initiatives that advance the

the Foundation will transfer control of the

Foundations public mission. In May 2015,

Library and Museum portions of the OPC

the Foundation announced plans to build

to NARA, which will operate both along

the OPC on the South Side of Chicago on

with the 13 other Presidential Libraries.

one of two potential sites: Jackson Park or

The University of Chicago has pledged

The Foundation will collaborate with a

space to the Foundation to support the

number of organizations to develop and

THE OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

takes many years and requires each

has asked all Americans to join him in

generation to embrace the obligations

the work of expanding opportunity in a

and opportunities that come with the

global age, improving the health of our

communities, protecting our children from

The Foundation will inspire the next gen-

beyond military force alone to promote

eration of young leaders all over the world.

peace, justice, and dignity throughout the

It will convene the brightest minds with

world. As First Lady, Michelle Obama has

the newest ideas from across the political