Vermont’s Architecture & Construction Expo

Thank you all for a successful ACX25.

See you in 2027!

Speakers

Brad Prestbo

Bradford J. Prestbo, FAIA, is a distinguished architect, educator, and innovator renowned for his contributions to the advancement of architectural practice through cutting-edge design technologies, high-performance design, and the integration of maker culture into the design process. As the Director of the Boston office at Studio NYL, he leads teams of technical specialists in developing revolutionary products and services, such as generative design scripts and sustainable structures, while also serving as a sought-after speaker, author, and mentor within the industry. Prestbo, a Super Jury award winning Syracuse University School of Architecture graduate, has been elevated to the prestigious College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for his notable impact on the profession, and has held leadership roles in the AIA’s Technology in Architectural Practice Knowledge Community and the Boston Society of Architects’ MakeTANK Knowledge Community, which he founded. Currently, he is on the Boston Building Enclosure Council’s Board of Directors, and co-chair of the Wagdy Anis Symposium. With a career spanning international practice, he has, in some combination, taught, lectured, presented, and juried in various schools of higher education, including Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, Roger Williams University, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Architecture, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston Architectural College, and authorship of works like “FROM MIND TO PAPER: Enhance Design Thinking Through Drawing,” Prestbo continues to inspire and shape the future of architecture through his dedication to technical excellence, education, and high-performance design.

Ned Swanberg

Ned Swanberg is the Flood Hazard Mapping Coordinator for the Rivers Program of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. He is also the Central Vermont Regional Floodplain Manager. Ned is a Certified Floodplain Manager and has an MS in Environmental Studies from Antioch University New England. He uses the pronouns “he” or “ki”, and lives along the North Branch of the Winooski River.

Brian Leet

Brian Leet, AIA, LEED AP, CSI has over 25 years of design and project management experience in Vermont and Pennsylvania. During his 13 years with Freeman French Freeman, Brian has led many of the firm’s flagship projects including City Market, the Pomerleau Family YMCA, and Burlington High School and Technical Center. Brian brings a deep understanding of building science and sustainable design to every project. Brian is currently serving as the AIA Vermont State Disaster Coordinator.

Speaking Experience

Brian has presented at multiple events including for the Vermont Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), Better Buildings by Design, Vermont Chapter of the ACEC, and the Vermont Development Conference presented by White + Burke. Brian has also been a featured guest in the local media including long-format interviews for Vermont Edition on VPR and Commissioner’s Corner on CCTV.

Frank Mruk

Frank Mruk, FAIA, RIBA, CSI is an architect, technology strategist and founder of the Center for Strategic Innovation and the Center for Smart Building Technology and is a Senior Director of Building Innovations at NRMCA. Educated at Pratt and Oxford University, he has taught at SVA/RISD/Parsons/NYU and at NYIT where he served as associate dean for the School of Architecture. Earlier he served as VP of Strategy for Morgan Stanley and Dir. of Strategy for AIG. Frank is a past President of AIARI, NYCASP and Metro NYCSI. He is a Morse Stone Fellow and a Fellow of the AIA and the Strategic Planning Society and currently serves as VP of NERCSI.

Kevin Worden

Kevin spent his childhood summer days in his best friend’s dirt pile, building cities and then flooding them with a garden hose.  This led to a career as a civil engineer and eventually flood mitigation projects in Vermont and beyond.  Kevin enjoys collaborating on small to large projects in existing and new communities.  His project work includes co-housing, affordable housing, college and hospital campuses and urban infill and redevelopment.

Speaking Experience

Kevin has presented at  past ACX and White + Burke Vermont Development Conferences.  He is also a past president of the Vermont Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and was a Burlington City Council and Development Review Board Member.

Sessions

Keynote Address

Brad Prestbo, FAIA

Stay tuned for program and AIA CEU details. 

State of the State: Overview of VT Flood Plain Management

Ned Swanberg

Stay tuned for program and AIA CEU details.

A Success Story – Lessons Learned in Waterbury

Brian Leet, AIA, CSI

Kevin Worden, PE

Climate data show that Vermont is experiencing more extreme rain events, and that trend is predicted to continue. This course examines these trends and the community response to them through the lens of the successful redevelopment of a historic campus in Waterbury, VT. This redevelopment utilized the expertise of a host of design and building professionals to address the campus’ needs via selective intervention in its architecture, site, landscape, and infrastructure. Attendees will share in the lessons learned during the monumental effort to honor the past while developing and implementing strategies to build a resilient and durable future.

Lunch Keynote – Thinking About Thinking in Uncertain Times – Strategy, Systems, and the Future of Design

Frank Mruk, FAIA, RIBA, CSI

 What if the greatest limitation in design today isn’t budgets or politics—but the way we think? This one-hour lecture introduces metacognition—thinking about thinking—as a critical tool for navigating uncertainty, system complexity, and systemic change.

From the Roman Empire’s blind spot around zero to today’s exponential challenges in architecture, cities, and AI, we explore how outdated mental models constrain innovation—and how resilience begins with better questions, not just better answers.

Perfect for architects, planners, urbanists, and strategists ready to rethink how we think—before we build what we can’t yet fully see.

exhibitors