Thorn was Historic Preservation Architect and Sustainability Director for Zyscovich Architects in their work on dozens of school projects, and his historical, ecological, and artistic perspectives inform his architectural and planning work in hot/humid subtropical climates. Primary influences include his upbringing in an architectural family and his fascination with coastal and marine environments as a boy in the 1950s.

He further developed his interests during his college years at Tulane University, where he earned a Master of Architecture and immersed himself in New Orleans' urban culture, informing his resiliency and urban planning efforts for the region following Hurricane Katrina. 

He is the grandson of architect Russell Thorn Pancoast, FAIA, who was an early advocate for a climate-appropriate architecture for South Florida, and the great-great grandson of Miami Beach pioneer John S. Collins, who built the first bridge to Miami Beach to service the country’s then-largest avocado farm.