The De Leon and Primmer office in Louisville (Ross Primmer is at left, in green; Roberto De Leon is at right, in black.) (De Leon and Primmer Architecture Workshop)
The De Leon and Primmer office in Louisville (Ross Primmer is at left, in green; Roberto De Leon is at right, in black.) (De Leon and Primmer Architecture Workshop) © De Leon and Primmer Architecture Workshop)

Ambitious architects tend to cluster in the same metropolises: New York, Chicago, L.A. (not to mention Beijing and London). But when they strike out for second-tier cities, it can be a win-win.

A couple of weeks ago, the American Institute of Architects announced which buildings had won its annual honor awards, one of the highest prizes in the field. The real winners, of course, are not the buildings but the architects who designed them. This year the group includes many elite New York firms, plus others from big cities like Boston and San Francisco. But one of the most talked-about buildings on the list—a modern spin on a barn that serves as a visitor center for a bourbon distillery—is the work of a relatively little-known practice from Kentucky named De Leon and Primmer Architecture Workshop.