Denchu Den, an 8,300-square-foot omakase restaurant on Denver’s Pearl Street, has received a Design Award of Merit at the 2026 AIA Colorado Design Awards. The award was announced September 17 during a celebration at Mile High Station.
Adam Harding, AIA, designed the project and served as design architect and architect of record while a partner and design principal at Roth Sheppard Architects. This urban infill project was recognized in the New Construction 5,000–15,000-square-foot category.
The jury identified the interior experience as central to the project’s distinction: “The project is an architectural marvel that guides visitors through a hidden forest of unfolding delights that emulate the intention and evolution within the omakase experience.”
Situated on a compact lot along South Pearl Street, the building holds two Michelin-starred restaurants — Kizaki and Margot — along with private dining rooms, a rooftop terrace, and a guest apartment for visiting chefs.
The building adopts a restrained exterior that blends quietly into its historic neighborhood, heightening the sense of transition upon entry. Inside, the architectural concept is defined by a box within a box: a rugged outer shell of concrete, masonry, and steel. The stone encases a warm wooden interior — the “forest.” This duality creates a layered experience of concealment and revelation.
The restaurant continues a 14-year-long collaboration between Harding and restaurateur Toshi Kizaki/Den Corner Restaurant Group that also produced Izakaya Den — also on Pearl Street in Denver. The design awards jury responded to the project’s architectural ambition and interior development, noting that at Denchu Den, Adam “creates intimate dining environments shaped around restraint, warmth, and focused hospitality.”
Harding was also honored as the 2026 AIA Colorado Architect of the Year at the same celebration. He founded Adam Harding Architecture in June 2026 after 22 years at Roth Sheppard Architects.
“It is a great honor to receive the Architect of the Year Award. For me, it lights a fire to keep pushing myself to become a better architect and a better person, and to continue giving back to the community that helped shape me,” says Harding.
Project: Denchu Den
Completed: 2025
Size: 8,300 square feet
Design Architect and Architect of Record: Adam Harding, AIA
Firm: Roth Sheppard Architects
Project contributors: Field of Optimal Origin; Spectrum General Contractors, R Design – Landscape, KL&A, Ricca Design Studio, Personalized Engineering Solutions
