Bob Topping

Bob Topping (born in Scottland) is a Canadian architect. Topping is the president of Designable Environments Inc., and a founding member of the Global Alliance for Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES).

Professional life

Topping has over twenty-five years of experience practising and teaching architecture with a specialization and interest in the fields of barrier-free design and universal design at Humber College and then Sheridan College. In partnership with Carol Kelly and Heather Snell, Topping established Designable Environments Inc. in 1987.

He has appeared in conferences around the world educating design professionals AbOUT universal design as it relates to the built environment, and currently serves as the treasurer on the Global Alliance for Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES).

Bob is a registered architect and design consultant with the OAA and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. He is also a member of:

  • the B651 Technical Committee of the Canadian Standards Association: Accessible design for the built environment
  • the Canadian Committee to the ISO TC 59/SC16: Accessibility and Usability of the Built Environment
  • the Use and Egress Technical Committee to the National Building Code of Canada
  • the Ontario Home Builders Accessible Housing Design Council

As of 2008, Topping has retired from teaching full-time to focus his work at Designable Environments.