- November 17, 2024
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Sean Palmer returned to Flagler for a number of reasons, but one was that when he and his wife, Jen, start their family, he couldn’t imagine his kids growing up anywhere else.
Growing up in Flagler Beach, Palmer would often walk into houses, restaurants and offices and ask himself why certain things were made the way they were. Even now, when he takes his wife out to eat, instead of enjoying the moment, he finds himself looking at “the layers it took to get something to look like that.” He would often ask her questions like, “What materials do you think they used?” (He jokes that she plays along and now probably knows more about design and construction than most.)
“It’s almost frustrating because your mind automatically goes there instead of enjoying the buildings the way most people do,” Palmer added.
Palmer isn’t just a novice in his craft, though he is just kicking off
his firm. The semester prior to his thesis year, Palmer was fortunate enough to travel to and live in the architectural mecca of Rome. There, he spent much of his time observing and sketching different buildings in the city.
“We were able to see so much, including the catacombs under the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, and still to this day, my favorite building of all time, the church San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane designed by Francesco Borromini,” he said. “It’s just simply amazing.”
Palmer was inspired by all that he saw in Rome, and, following that journey, he took a position at Architecture Works in Birmingham, Alabama. There, he helped to redesign a three-story car dealership, built in 1927, into a 45,000-square-foot school of law.
“That project was amazing to be a part of, from design through construction,” Palmer said. “We transformed it into something it was never meant to be; one of the auto ramps is now an auditorium. In certain places, you can still feel the presence of its former life as a car dealership. When it was finished, I was like, ‘Yes, this is right.’ And, the school loves it, and that’s what’s it’s all about.”
Back in town with Palmer Studios at 216 Third St. S. in Flagler Beach, Palmer never wishes to leave his home and hopes his family will enjoy the place where he played lacrosse, football and eventually graduated high school in 2001.
“I just feel like Flagler Beach is a unique place,” he said. “I’ve been to most beach towns in Florida, and none of them are like this town; it’s just home.”
Visit palmer-studio.com or call 338-3040.
