Dr. Terri Peters

Areas of Specialization
Architectural design
Housing
Sustainability
Health and architecture
Environmental simulation for sustainable buildings
Architectural daylighting
Social sustainability
Resilient environments
Education
Year | University | Degree |
---|---|---|
2015 | Aarhus Architecture School | PhD |
2006 | London Metropolitan University | DipArch |
2002 | Dalhousie University | BEDS |
2000 | University of Victoria | BA |
Spotlight
Terri Peters has long been interested in the effects of building performance on well-being; but when she lived in Copenhagen, she experienced it firsthand. Design there was different, especially in the medium-rise housing blocks that many, including Peters herself, called home. Instead of the long, dark condos that are typical of North America, balconies facing sunny courtyards were common, as was a focus on hygge, meaning coziness. “In Denmark,” she says, “quality of life is most important.”
It’s important for Peters, too. Much of her research focuses on superarchitecture: where design is driven by what adds to our health, such as wide-open views, good air flow, maximized daylight and access to the outdoors. Here in Canada, Peters wants superarchitecture to play more of a central role. However, as many of these elements are not quantitative—i.e. how do you measure that calm feeling you get from a well-lit room?—there are challenges.
To overcome them, Peters is researching strategies that benefit both our natural environment and our well-being, like appropriate uses of daylight and testing design options via digital simulation. She’s also speaking up at various health-related conferences. “The more architects who advocate, the healthier our buildings will be.”

“Our buildings can make us better—if we let them.”
- Peters, T., D'Penna, K*. (2020). Biophilic Design for Restorative University Learning Environments: A Critical Review of Literature and Design Recommendations. Sustainability. 12: 7064. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12177064 (external link)
- Peters T, Alkhalli N*, Kesik T, O'Brien L. (2020) Metrics And Methods For Climate-based Daylight Simulations Of Multi-Unit Residential Buildings. 2020 Building Performance Analysis Conference and SimBuild, September 29- October 1 2020, Chicago, Illinois, Chicago, United States
- Peters T., Peters B. (2018) Computing the Environment: Digital Design Tools for Simulation and Visualisation of Sustainable Architecture, (Chichester: John Wiley & Sons). ISBN: 978-1-119-09789-1
- Peters T, Editor, (2017) Special Issue: Design for Health: Sustainable Approaches to Therapeutic Architecture. Architectural Design, Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, March/April 2017). ISBN: 978-1-119-16213-1
- Registered Architect in the UK 2008-present
- WELL AP Certification 2019-present
- Article: "High Rise Habitats 55 Years Later" Canadian Architect, November 2020 page 47-49. Coauthored with Dr Ted Kesik at University of Toronto.
https://www.canadianarchitect.com/high-rise-habitats-55-years-later/ (external link) - Presentation: "Rethinking Liveability in the Design and Development of Multi-Unit Housing" 7th Active House Symposium, Brickworks Toronto 16-17 September 2019, Toronto, Canada https://www.activehouse.ca/speakers/terri-peters/ (external link)
- Invited workshop: “Superarchitecture”, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Interdisciplinary Workshop on Multi-Systemic Resilience, led by Dr Michael Ungar, Johannesburg, South Africa 2017.