Swihart has over 17 years of experience in the architectural profession. His early work included conceptual design and some unusual use of stone in museum projects. More recently, he has been responsible for project management and construction contract administration for a wide range of project types. When informed of his selection as the contest winner, Swihart was very excited, having never been to Italy or Europe before. 

"I'll be fascinated to see a broad range of historical uses of stone and to learn more about its modern day possibilities," he said. "Stone is a great material for the mixed-use projects that my office is currently engaged in, so I look forward to bringing new ideas and design inspiration back to my colleagues and into our current work.  I am extremely grateful for this wonderful opportunity."

"Designing with Natural Stone" offers a unique combination of classroom lectures, guided architectural tours and field trips to local quarries, as well as to natural stone processing facilities. This comprehensive approach enables architects to better understand stone's full lifecycle -- including how marble is quarried, cut, processed, finished, selected for specific jobs and installed, all using the latest technologies and products.