On a recent afternoon at Shelby Farms Park in Memphis, the sun beat down with ferocity, the sultry air wrapping visitors in a smothering embrace. Nevertheless, intrepid joggers zipped by, kayakers paddled across Hyde Lake, and bicyclists pedaled along the trails that zigzag through the varied landscapes, while most of us mere mortals sought refuge in the shade thrown by the group of buildings abutting the water. Designed by Fayetteville, Arkansas–based Marlon Blackwell Architects (MBA), the structures, which range from an 8,000-square-foot visitors center to diminutive picnic pavilions, introduce a modern alternative to the more typical scout-camp-style “parkitecture” by alluding to an agricultural vernacular, in both the plainspoken forms and the spare material palette. This family of buildings serves as an entry point and support system for the sprawling 4,500-acre park—master-planned by James Corner Field Operations (JCFO)—beyond.