Getting Back to Basics with De Leon and Primmer Architecture Workshop

With 90+ categories and 300+ jurors, the Architizer A+Awards is the world’s definitive architectural awards program. In anticipation of the Awards Gala and Phaidon book launch on May 14, we are pleased to take a closer look at some of the winners of the 2015 Awards program — see all of them here.

From color-coded Razor scooters to four o’clock bourbon breaks, De Leon and Primmer definitely bring the easygoing startup vibe to Louisville, Kentucky, and vice versa. But the company designs not apps or logos but rather tasteful, modern barns, among other buildings in the region and beyond, and the small firm’s youthful, creative, and collaborative atmosphere is as much a part of its philosophy as its regional renown. Winner in two categories at the Architizer A+Awards 2015, De Leon and Primmer Architecture Workshop has singlehandedly raised the profile of the Bluegrass State as a design destination even as they look to expand to other cities throughout the country.

Wild Turkey Bourbon Visitors Center. This 9,140-square-foot facility is designed in a simple barn silhouette with a chevron pattern of stained wood and a glass-sectioned facade that blurs the lines between exterior and interior, solid and void space.

Upon graduating from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2003, Roberto de Leon and Ross Primmer were looking to make a big impact in a small town, and Louisville turned out to the proverbial sweet spot: River City, as it is known, has been transitioning from an industrial economy to a service-based one, and DPAW’s services are increasingly in demand. Many of their current clients are non-for-profits looking to bolster their reputation with a great building concept including Kosair Children’s Hopsital and Filson Historical Society.

“I thought after a while being in Louisville, in this region, it would get boring,” admits de Leon, “but that really hasn’t been the case. Even in our barn variations, each one has sort of opened up a whole engine for us to explore.”

Wild Turkey Bourbon Visitors Center. The interior of the center is divided into a ramped, split-level promenade and includes a singular wooden trestle that acts as a physical spine from which the light-filtering lattice work extends.

Those barn variations include the Wild Turkey Bourbon Visitors Center, a contemporary twist on a country tobacco barn that serves as a bourbon distillery, one of the state’s most famous exports. Whiskey fanatics from around the world make the pilgrimage to the distilleries in the Kentucky Bourbon Trail each year — now, they’ll be coming for the architecture too: The project was recently deemed worthy of both an A+Awards and an AIA 2015 Honor Award.

Mason Lane Farm Operations Facility. This low-tech farm hub is a pervious structure that stores large equipment such as vehicles and materials like hay and grain.

But the first project that brought DPAW major national recognition was the Mason Lane Farm Operations Facility, a storage complex that achieved LEED Silver certification for its attention to the regional climate and nuances of the landscape. From there, DPAW has continued building with and for the community, using local materials, contractors, and traditions to complete their concepts.

De Leon and Primmer believe in an immersive design and construction process, working closely with builders, mindful of every detail, from contextual precedence to the way the building engages with the land. Taking it a step further, if they’re building for a bourbon distillery, they’re drinking the bourbon too — all under the guise of research, according to de Leon. Maintaining a rather democratic work culture in the office and with clients is also important to DPAW. It’s essential that everyone’s voice gets heard. They’ve been known to pitch tents, set up card tables and literally work on site. Once the design is done, time off is mandatory.

In addition to daily bourbon breaks — which they continue to partake in since working with Wild Turkey — DPAW also practices other ways of letting loose. Each staffer has a color-coded razor scooter that he or she rides around the office downtown for taking phone calls or simply to get time away from the desk. They even have outdoor workspaces to take advantage of before mosquito season starts.

Better yet, De Leon and Primmer take the team of four, including interns, on a mystery trip twice each year. For the firm’s 10th year anniversary, they went to the Virgin Islands. “We tell them to show up at the airport and be prepared to go anywhere,” said De Leon.” There’s an element of surprise that is a big part of the fun. It’s really important for us doing what we’re doing to stay inspired.” Recent adventures include Punta Cana, Las Vegas, Gatlinburg, and the Florida Keys. Laptops can stay at home.

Guthrie Transportation Museum and Welcome Center. Rehabilitated on a modest budget, the multi-use venue is a place for the community to gather.

This work-hard, play-hard attitude also gives DPAW the energy and creativity necessary to take risks and try out new typologies. The firm’s portfolio includes museums, private homes, garden pavilions, visitors centers, and the Louisville headquarters of United Mail, an edgy renovation and expansion of a 1960s warehouse. The Guthrie Transportation Museum and Welcome Center, for which they won the +Preservation A+Award, is one of the firm’s latest projects. The rehabilitation of two decaying brick storefronts, is part of a larger redevelopment strategy for downtown Guthrie, Kentucky, where the community seeks to revitalize the area while bringing light to its rich historic context.

Guthrie Transportation Museum and Welcome Center. The new museum is physically layered with previously existing elements and new materials including exposed, aged brick and plaster as well as its black steel frame and brightly colored walls.

DPAW is now looking to expand its regional sensibility to other cities, including Colorado, where they are developing a concept for another distillery expansion and visitor’s center. Though the distance slightly hinders their hands-on approach, they still want to build architecture unique to its location. “While technology is certainly helping to overcome some of the difficulties of working remotely,” said de Leon, “we are always interested in techniques of building that show the ‘hand’ of the craftsman, which I think will pose the biggest challenge for us. This is a little like the ‘grit’ of Louisville that we find so interesting. It’s important to us that this doesn’t disappear.”

See all of the 2015 A+Award Winners here, and pre-order the book from Phaidon here!