Sacred Places
Women's Space at The Hospitality Hub
Designed on the principles of trauma-informed care.
WHERE
Memphis, TN
SETTING
Neighborhood
PARTNER INSTITUTION
The Hospitality Hub of Memphis
Visit
Where it is
590 Washington Ave, Memphis, TN 38105
What happens here
Residents spend time together at the picnic tables and lounge chairs in the building's shade. Children play on the open lawn while their mothers relax in the sun. On the other side of the space, the trellised area offers somewhere more private and reflective.
HOW IT CAME TO BE
Different needs at different moments.
01
The Need
The new women's shelter houses 32 rooms. Women arriving there need outdoor space that accounts for what they have been through, and different residents need different things from it at different times.
02
The Vision
The Hub and Nature Sacred collaborated on three Sacred Places at the new building so peace, contemplation, and healing were built into every facet of the campus from the start. This one was designed with the principles of trauma-informed care, which is why it is organized into multiple zones each harboring a different level of activity rather than a single undifferentiated space.
03
The Transformation
The space sits outside the shelter, visible from inside through full-length windows and from the balconies above. Shaded by the building, picnic tables and lounge chairs give residents somewhere to be together. An open lawn lets children play in sight while their mothers sit in the sun. On the opposite side, set amid plantings, a trellis covers an area with a water feature, making a private and reflective oasis. A walking loop and a fence enclose the whole.
WHO TENDS IT
Kelcey Johnson
Firesoul, Women's Space at The Hospitality Hub
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HEAR FROM THE VISITORS
From the Little Yellow Journal
Journaling in the courtyard on a Saturday A.M. after breakfast. Clouds covering the blue skies and nice breeze. Good feeling of ease.
