Peter F. Turner (photo courtesy of Turner Fleischer) 

A new visiting professorship in architecture and health at the University of Toronto has been made possible through the visionary support of alumnus Peter F. Turner (BArch 1968) and his wife, Dorothy R. Boothroyd (BA 1969 VIC).  

Their latest gift builds on their longstanding commitment to architecture and health, a key priority for the faculty, following their earlier endowment of the Peter Turner Award in Architecture and Design for Health. 

A dedicated mentor of young architects, Turner says his reasons for the gift are simple: “As a U of T graduate from a long time ago, I must do something, in terms of legacy. I am grateful to the university for my education, which has provided me with far more than the fundamentals I have needed in my career. I'm just trying to do my share. That's all.”

The inaugural appointment to the Turner Visiting Professorship in Architecture and Health will begin in January 2027. 

The chairholder will teach advanced studios, seminars and lecture in courses across undergraduate and graduate architecture programs. Through these offerings, students will be introduced to key concepts in architecture and health, undertake design projects that address health-related design challenges and pursue new research. The chairholder will also engage with faculty, researchers and initiatives of the Centre for Design + Health Innovation at Daniels and deliver a public lecture.

“As our population ages, the influence of the built environment on patient recovery, in palliative care settings, and on direct care givers, deserves greater attention in future health care planning and research,” says Professor Robert Levit, who was acting dean of the faculty and worked closely with the Turners to advance their gift.

“Through the Turner Visiting Professorship in Architecture and Health, future students will engage in approaches that redefine architecture’s contribution to health care and its broader societal impact. We are most grateful to Peter and Dorothy for their generous commitment to this priority.” 

Turner, who also completed a master's degree in city planning and urban design at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, is the founding partner and principal of Turner Fleischer, with offices in Toronto and Halifax. A practising architect and registered urban planner, his work has focused largely on residential mixed-use and high-density developments. He has observed, however, the growing role of architecture in shaping health and well-being.

“I would like to fund priorities that advance curricular development at Daniels. The study of architecture’s impact on health ought to be an essential focus. Connections between the built environment and human well-being have not yet been sufficiently explored and require further study.”

Architecture has been his life’s work and passion from an early age.

“I’ve had a passion for the field ever since career day in Grade 9. I applied only to U of T out of high school. I'm just as excited now about architecture as I was then,” he says.   

“Of course, it was all pre-computers, pre-cell phones – pre-everything. It was the good old days,” adds Turner of the evolutions he’s witnessed in the profession, recalling that his first office computer didn’t arrive until 1985. “Where's the 21st century going to lead us?” 

Turner's comments underscore the forward-looking vision behind the new professorship.

“To echo Peter’s words, the 21st century is leading us in new directions as we seek answers to some of the most urgent questions of our time, including design innovation for health-care settings and addressing needs of an aging population,” says Professor Mason White, dean of the faculty. “This new visiting professorship will help educate and inspire the next generation of architects in healthcare. We are deeply grateful to Peter and Dorothy for their visionary gift and their commitment to advancing architecture and health.”