Self+Tucker Architects

Brenda Rogers Parent Resource Center

The new Brenda Rogers Parent Resource Center is located in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Memphis, TN, and is a 3,200 SF expansion of the Nonprofit organization Memphis Lift. Named after a longtime community advocate, it has been designed as a place of parental empowerment and Guided by the mantra “Making The Powerless Parent POWERFUL”. The project mission was to integrate education, resources, and placemaking in all facets of the design. Our approach primarily included strong use of the organization’s brand colors and adjoining the existing facility holistically with the New Construction. This was done by incorporating a “portal” (extended covered porch) to merge the existing 2,190 SF structure to the new $1.4 million resource center. We put intentionality into keeping with the residential fabric of the neighborhood while creating an immediately recognizable local anchor. The expansion adopted and enhanced this residential character with a gabled roof, a raised composite wood deck, and vertically oriented board and batten siding to accentuate the concept of ‘lifting’. The building also physically “lifts” to a second story, while predominantly surrounded by single-story homes, further enhancing and reflecting the organization’s mission. The development brings ample support and programming space to the Memphis Lift adding a Multipurpose Space, Food Pantry, Counseling Rooms, Uniform Closet, Kitchen, Offices, and a Media Center. A soaring atrium space in the multipurpose room lifts viewer’s eyes to the exposed trusses accented with square-pendant lighting that represent the forms of neighborhood blocks. The stenciled mission statement of “Making The Powerless Parent POWERFUL” sets a tone of education and parental engagement. Overlooking the atrium, a media center wraps around the elevated walkway. Adjacent to the multipurpose space are sliding doors to the porch that visually tie into the added sliding doors of the existing structure. A further acknowledgment of the concept at the porch is an overhead door – orange branded – that separates the public street-facing side, to the more private patio and backyard. Overall, this project successfully takes on the organization’s programming, providing spaces for daily check-ins, team meetings, research, call-centers, and fellowships. The energetic atmosphere keeps students, parents, workers and volunteers alike engaged in what is sure to be a long-lasting asset to the Hyde Park neighborhood, City of Memphis, and Delta-Region.

"Brenda Rogers taught us the meaning of community. She taught us the meaning of taking pride in the community. She fed children, clothed children, bought shoes for children. She took families to the grocery store. She was a mentor to many young parents. The legacy of Mrs. Rogers lives on through the Memphis Lift."



– Sarah Carpenter, Executive Director