Art of Architecture: Thorn Grafton

Join us for our ongoing series highlighting architects who work in historic preservation and resiliency.

This event will take place at the historic Bass Museum.

Please note: The Bass will open its doors at 10am for talk attendees. Please use the main entrance at the Bass and you will be directed to the location of the talk.

The talk will begin at approximately 10:15am and last for approximately 35 minutes, with time for Q&A at the end.

About the Speaker

Thorn is a third generation South Florida architect. His historical, ecological, and artistic perspectives inform his architectural and planning work in hot/ humid subtropical climates. He is the grandson of architect Russell Thorn Pancoast, FAIA, and great-great grandson of Miami Beach pioneer John S. Collins, whose partnership with Carl Fisher and his son-in-law Thomas J. Pancoast resulted in the Miami Beach Improvement Company. Along with his emergence/immersion in an architectural family, Thorn’s other primary influences include:

• College years at Tulane in New Orleans where he received a Master of Architecture and absorbed the city’s urban fabric and participated in its complex culture.
• 2 summers in Arizona building Arcosanti, a visionary ecological/architectural experimental community;
• Collaborating with South Beach preservationist Barbara Baer Capitman in the 1980s, and assisting Marjory Stoneman Douglas’ effort to build an oceanfront nature center.

From 2006-2021, Grafton served as Director of Sustainability and historic resource architect with Zyscovich Architects, working with a staff of 150+