The Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design is pleased to announce that the 2020-21 Frank Gehry International Visiting Chair in Architectural Design is Douglas Cardinal, OC, FRAIC, a renowned Canadian architect known both for his inspiring designs and for his advocacy for the rights and dignity of Indigenous peoples. Cardinal will lead a series of public events including lectures and conversations in collaboration with the Daniels Faculty, throughout his appointment as Gehry Chair. Read More.

This second event in the series is a conversation between Douglas Cardinal and Arthur Dyson. Both Cardinal and Dyson are committed to the practice of what they identify as 'organic architecture', promoting the integration of human habitation and the natural world. These two architects, well established in their career, will reflect on their shared commitments.

Arthur Dyson studied Psychology at the University of Wisconsin, Philosophy at the University of Oklahoma, and Urban and Regional Planning at California State University, Fresno.  He received a Master of Architecture degree at the San Francisco Institute of Architecture in Color Psychology. He served his architectural apprenticeships with Frank Lloyd Wright, Bruce Goff, and William Gray Purcell.

Dyson is the recipient of over 200 local, state, national, and international Design awards. His designs and writings have been featured in more than 400 publications and in over two- dozen books, including The Architecture of Arthur Dyson by Mark Hammons (Word Dancer Press, ISBN: 1-884995-11-X) and “Arthur Dyson: L’architettura meditative” by Giuliano Chelazzi, published in Italy.

In 2017 and 2014, Dyson won the Presidential Award for the Project of the Year from the Association of Licensed Architects.  In 2014, he was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his creative contributions to the profession of architecture.  In 1999 he won the Firm of the Millenium Award from the AIA San Joaquin, and the Horizon Award for his lifetime contribution to contemporary American architecture. In 2003, he was honored by the International Academy of Architecture in Sophia, Bulgaria as an Honorary Professor of Architecture. In 2001 he received the Medallion of Honor for lifetime achievement from the New York Council SARA.  In 1998 he was awarded the California Oustanding Firm Award from the California Council SARA and in 1993 he was awarded the Gold Medal from the Society of American Registered Architects (SARA). He has lectured at over fifty major universities and art museums, and his work has been exhibited at more than forty art museums and institutions around the world including the Royal Institute of British Architects Museum in London where his work is included in the museum’s permanent collection.  

Graphic by Chris Lee

About the Frank Gehry International Visiting Chair in Architectural Design

Named in honour of Frank O. Gehry, this endowed chair brings a highly recognized international architect to the Daniels Faculty to deliver a public lecture and enrich the student learning experience each year. Heather Reisman, founder of Indigo Books and Music, and 45 other donors contributed $1 million, matched by U of T, to establish the chair in November 2000. It's named for the Toronto-born designer of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain; the Experience Music Project in Seattle; and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.