Thom Mayne is an American architect, educator, and co-founder of Morphosis, an interdisciplinary practice recognized for its innovative and sustainable designs for cultural, civic and academic institution. Their work is deeply rooted in research and design, exploring the complex behavior of collective form through what they call “combinatory urbanism”.

Mayne holds a Master of Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and has been a key figure in both practice and academia. In 1972, he played a foundational role in establishing the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), reinforcing his commitment to architectural education. Over the years, he has held teaching positions at institutions worldwide, including Columbia University, Yale University (Eliel Saarinen Chair, 1991), Harvard GSD (Eliot Noyes Chair, 1998), the Berlage Institute in the Netherlands, and the Bartlett School of Architecture in London. His academic contributions continue to shape the discourse of contemporary architecture.

Founded in 1972, Morphosis is an interdisciplinary practice involved in rigorous design and research that yields innovative, iconic buildings and urban environments. The firm is committed to the practice of architecture as a collaborative enterprise. Notable projects by Morphosis include the San Francisco Federal Building, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, the 41 Cooper Square academic building in New York, and the Emerson College Los Angeles campus. Mayne was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2005, recognizing his contributions to the field, and has received numerous other honors, including the AIA Gold Medal and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Architecture Award.