Architecture & Design Film Festival 2026 Screening: Showcasing Warren, Vermont—a small town that became an architect’s haven in the 1960s and today boasts more architects and designers per capita than anywhere else in the USA.
Opening night reception
Join the CAC on Thursday, February 19, for a *reception, film screening and presentation by Director Allie Rood.
- 6 PM: Join us for a pre-film reception with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres
- 7 PM: Screening begins
- 8:30 PM.: Panel discussion and Q&A moderated by Kyle Bergman with Director, Allie Rood.
Reception will be held at the GAR Rotunda, 2nd Floor North of the Chicago Cultural Center. Please enter from the Randolph Street side of the building.
*Pre-film reception included in ticket price.
About the film
Prickly Mountain and My Design Build Life takes us to Warren, Vermont—a remarkable small town with more architects and designers per capita than anywhere else in the USA. Warren became an architect’s haven in the 1960s, when a group of Yale-trained architects settled there, embracing collaboration and hands-on craftsmanship over the corporate world of their contemporaries.
Director Allie Rood, who grew up in this vibrant environment, offers an insider’s perspective on a place where design is not just a profession, but a way of life. The film celebrates the freedom, spontaneity, and deep sense of connection that come from choosing to live in a place that privileges creativity. This is a story about community, values, and the radical act of designing the way we live, work, and grow together.
Prickly Mountain and My Design Build Life
- Year: 2025
- Runtime: 90 minutes
- Language: English
- Country: United States
- Director: Allie Rood
Screening location
Chicago Cultural Center, Cassidy Theater, 78 E. Washington St., 2nd Floor North
The opening reception will be held at the GAR Rotunda, 2nd Floor North of the Chicago Cultural Center. Enter from the Randolph Street side of the building.
