Twitchell was an American architect known for his integral role in the development of the Sarasota School of Architecture, of which Paul Rudolph was a member (see entry above). The Sarasota School is a post-war modernist movement marked by a Frank Lloyd Wright-esque integration of the surrounding Florida landscape into architectural design. One of the signatures of this movement was the integration of an overhanging roof, which was well-suited for the rainy Sarasota climate but was also likely influenced by the style of Le Corbusier. Twitchell was most active in this style between the mid-1930s and the 1960s, primarily in Sarasota but also in other parts of Florida.

On and off throughout the 1940s and 1950s, Twitchell and Rudolph worked on numerous homes. The two worked together on the historic Revere Quality House in the late 1940s, the first poured concrete modern home to be built in the area. One of Twitchell's best-known works, the Cocoon House (also known as the Healy Guest House) was also built in collaboration with Rudolph in 1957.