About the program
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.
This screening is the opening night feature film of the Architecture & Design Film Festival: CHICAGO (ADFF), presented by Chicago Architecture Center. Tickets include a pre-reception, the film, and a post-screening discussion with Director Allie Rood and ADFF Festival Founder Kyle Bergman..
From February 19—22, 2026, the Architecture & Design Film Festival: CHICAGO includes 10 feature-length screenings in two downtown venues—with many screenings including Q&As with the filmmakers.
