Landscaping takes shape at George W.Bush Presidential Center

DALLAS – Over the weekend, a 45-foot mammoth red oak tree was moved from a portion of the Southern Methodist University (SMU) campus property that is scheduled for demolition to its new home on the site of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. The largest of 40 trees transplanted on the project site, the transplant process for the over 50-year-old, 245,000 lb. tree took two days to complete.

The relocation of trees from other areas of SMU property or from other locations within the construction site is in keeping with President and Mrs. Bush’s commitment to restoration and conservation. Set within a native Texas landscape, the grounds at the Bush Center will provide visitors a 15-acre urban park with wildflower meadows, tree-shaded lawns, tall grass prairies, savannah and woodland clearings and a natural habitat for butterflies, birds and other wildlife.

The project is LEED®-registered with a certification goal of LEED Platinum, the highest level of the LEED green building certification program. The building design incorporates green materials and energy-efficient technologies to attain this certification.

The 226,500-square-foot building will hold the George W. Bush Presidential Library, including the archives and museum, and the George W. Bush Institute. The project architect is Robert A. M. Stern Architects, LLP. (RAMSA). The landscape architect is Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA).