As the founding principal of the firm of G. F. Duffus & Company Ltd., Architects in 1984, Graeme has been responsible for projects within fields such as housing, planning, commercial and institutional, with clients in all levels of government, various institutions, and the private sector. As an architect specializing in the conservation of buildings, Graeme has made an outstanding contribution to the conservation of heritage throughout Atlantic Canada for over fifty years.

Since 1971, Graeme has prepared conservation plans for numerous heritage buildings and undertaken over three hundred projects with varying degrees of repair up to full restoration. Major heritage projects include the preparation of plans for the restoration of the exterior fabric of City Hall, Province House, Government House, and the Provincial Court House, all in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In 2002, the City of Moncton engaged Graeme to document, interpret, and relocate the Treitz Haus (c.1767), the oldest building in the city.

Graeme has worked on many heritage buildings, owned and operated by post-secondary educational institutions in Halifax, including Dalhousie University, University of King’s College, Saint Mary’s University, and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD). He is the recipient of several Nova Scotia Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for his projects, including NSCAD University campus, Halifax City Hall, Keith Hall, and most recently the exterior restoration of James Power Cottage, across from the Public Gardens in Halifax. 

Graeme is a longtime member of the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals, National Trust for Canada, and Association for Preservation Technology International. He has lectured and facilitated various seminars on building conservation. He has also authored several publications relating to heritage buildings and architectural history in Nova Scotia. An active community volunteer over the years, Graeme has served as a member of Halifax’s Heritage Advisory Committee, the Sacred Heart School Facilities Committee, and on the board of the Fort Sackville Foundation.