2023 AIA Wyoming Design and Honor Awards Programs

Every three years the AIA Wyoming Design and Honor Awards program recognizes excellence in design, planning, and construction of projects located anywhere in the world that are designed by AIA Wyoming Architect members registered and licensed in Wyoming. The Design Awards honor the highest standards of design in response to user requirements, site, context, climate, environment, sustainability, energy efficiency and strong sense of place. Awards are based on citation, merit, and excellence. The Honor Awards recognize the exceptional achievements of members, firms, and other contributors to the built environment.

Prospect Studio would like to congratulate all of this years winners and were honored to receive the Award of Excellence for Interiors for the Intelligentsia, Illumination Bar in Pasadena, California.

When Intelligentsia Coffee dared to reimagine the daily coffee ritual, they turned to Prospect Studio for help. Intelligentsia, already celebrated for its friendly cafes and specialty pours, wanted to create a new way of making a cup that maximized flavor, consistency, and interaction between baristas and guests. So, they swapped traditional espresso machines for cutting-edge, freeze-dried coffees at their downtown Pasadena, CA location.  

 To emphasize this innovative shift, the Prospect Studio team eliminated the typical long coffee bar and created three stations designed to encourage conversation. A translucent counter subtly links the stations together while still nudging the queue to engage with the drink-making process. The simplicity of the materials used, plus a striking lighting design, add to the space’s airy, visionary appeal. The resulting Illumination Bar is the U.S.’s first instant-espresso café, which offers a groundbreaking experience in an historic, albeit newly imagined, setting.