IT STARTED WITH A LETTER....

In 1967 the price of a stamp was only five cents, but Memphian Mr. Robert Winfield would have gladly paid more to mail his letter had he known the result of his words would be the creation of The Madonna Day School. Mr. Winfield was frustrated over the lack of educational opportunities for his son, Keith, and his letter set in motion a chain of events which culminated in three Benedictine sisters traveling 370 miles from Ferdinand, Indiana, to Memphis, Tennessee, to start a school for children with special needs.


The Education for All Handicapped Children Act would not be enacted for another 7 years (1975), and at the time of Mr. Winfield’s letter, public schools were not required to provide an education for children with special needs. In fact many states actually created laws to exclude children with disabilities from the school system. From its inception, the goal of The Madonna Day School has been to provide a place where the cognitive, social, emotional, spiritual and physical needs of children with disabilities could be met in a faith-based environment. As a result of Mr. Winfield’s determination, his son Keith would end up being one of the first students to attend and graduate from the school.


On May 14, 2014, I attended the groundbreaking for the Madonna Learning Center’s new building and listened to Keith Winfield address a crowed sanctuary. In 1996 the school moved to its present location on Poplar Avenue, but is now embarking on a $10 million dollar building project to accommodate its growing needs. The new space will provide additional classrooms, a gym with a stage, new administrative space, a new kitchen, a new art room, music and dance space as well as occupational therapy and speech therapy rooms. In addition, two new playgrounds will be constructed at the facility which we know is #1 in the children’s eyes. A dedicated building will be constructed for the older enrollees at the Madonna Learning Center who learn life and living skills. This building will include four life skills rooms, a laundry room, a kitchen and a rec room. New interior finishes throughout the old and new space will help the children with way finding and provide for visual identification of different spaces.

 Keith Winfield was one of several former students to address the large crowd and I was reminded of the life and hope this school injects into our city. Keith’s message was one of opportunity where previously there had been none. Memphis should be very proud that the Madonna Learning Center has thrived in its midst. I also had the opportunity that afternoon to visit with several parents of children who attended The Madonna Learning Center. While the specifics of what the center provided for each of their children was different, the overall feeling was that the teachers and therapists at the Madonna Learning Center provided great light in the midst of a dark situation. The stories of those families and of families to come will continue to be woven together in this new facility and we are proud to play a small part in those stories.

To learn more about the Madonna Learning Center and see the wonderful things they are doing in the City of Memphis for children with developmental and cognitive disabilities and how you might be able to play a part in their mission, please visit their webpage through the link below.

www.madonna-learning.org

Scott Fleming takes Executive of the Year honors at MBJ's Small Business Awards

Memphis Business Journal revealed the winners of its 32nd Small Business Awards competition last night during an event at the Holiday Inn University of Memphis. Scott Fleming, president of Fleming Associates Architects PC, took home Executive of the Year honors.

Scott's acceptance speech

The Fleming Crew - Carol, Denise, Ellen and Curt

The Fleming Crew - Katrina, Michael and Carol

Scott and Liz

Scott and his Mother (Mrs. Joanne Fleming)

Streets Ministries | Graham Heights - Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Streets Ministries is a nonprofit Christian ministry that serves children in impoverished communities. The new 34,000-square-foot center includes a gymnasium, computer lab, club room and offices.


Ken Bennett - Executive Director of Streets Ministries, Scott Fleming, Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell, City of Memphis Mayor A. C. Wharton

Front Elevation

Main Entry Hall

Gymnasium

The Fleming Design Team: Richard Wiggs, Steve Landwehr, Veronica Tansey





Christian Brothers University Living and Learning Center

To provide a truly distinctive learning experience, Fleming Associates Architects helped Christian Brothers University bring students together in a new way with their new Living and Learning Center. This new, multi-purpose Center includes 21 private and 70 semi-private, premium residence hall accommodations, public spaces on each floor for both formal and informal gatherings, a fully equipped serving kitchen, a multi-purpose classroom on the main floor, an exterior patio, quiet study space, game and video areas, and laundry and recycling facilities on each floor. Specific to the center, the green features include electric car charging stations, recycled and bioregional construction materials, alternate lighting to avoid light pollution, occupancy sensors, lowflow toilet fixtures, and mechanical systems sensors. Additional exciting features make use of energy efficient components such as white roofing and water efficiency measures, including a 67-gallon rain barrel to collect rain for use in the irrigation of nearby planting, to name just a few. With the opening of the center, students will have a facility that promotes and encourages learning to continue outside the classroom.

View from main campus

South outdoor patio

South outdoor patio

Main commons area

Typical dorm room

The University Of Memphis Law School wins 2011 AIA Gulf States Region Award!

The American Institute of Architects Gulf States Region Honor Awards Program celebrates the quality of Architects in our region and pays tribute to our deserving Architects for their design Excellence. The renovation of the historic federal building for use as the Memphis Law School brought a prestigious design award to Fleming Associates Architects and our joint venture partner Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects. The firms' joint design project won the Honor Award -- the highest given! One Juror commented: "Sensitive treatment of an already beautiful building; careful integration of new functional requirements into existing constraints."

Lisa Namie - FAA, Kevin Smith - Dean of Law School, Bill Nixon - ANFA,
Tony Poteet - U of M, Scott Fleming - FAA

- The FAA Team -
Katrina Terrett - Construction Administration Coordinator, Veronica Tansey - Lead Interior Designer, Lisa Namie - Principal-In-Charge, Steve Landwehr - Project Manager,
Christy Darr - Interior Designer

Located in the heart of downtown Memphis, the law school is in the center of the legal community.

The marble lobby with its ornate corinthian columns and richly detailed ceilings was restored and now serves as the reception, student lounge area, and event space for the school.

The restored Federal Courtroom.

Christ Methodist Day School students eagerly await a tour of the grand old building.

Christ Community Health Services - New Broad Avenue Dental Center

FAA staff tours the new CCHS - Broad Avenue Dental Center

Susan Banning, Procurement Director - CCHS, Christy Darr, Interior Designer and Richard Wiggs, Project Manager - FAA

Christ Community, which was founded in 1995 to serve uninsured people, opened its first dental clinic in 2001.

Burger Friday!!

Holy Cow it's Burger Time!
The FAA group gets together at the Brook Haven Pub for lunch.