Bob Topping (born in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

architect. Robert Topping earned a Bachelor of Architecture (1979) from Strathclyde University,

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

before emigrating to Canada. Topping is the president of Designable Environments Inc., and a founding member of the

Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments The Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES) (2007) is an international not-for-profit organization (registered in Canada) that promotes accessibility of technologies and the built environment, and the principles of the ...

(GAATES).

Professional life

Topping has over thirty years of experience practicing and teaching architecture, with a specialization and interest in the fields of barrier-free design and

universal design Universal design is the design of buildings, products or environments to make them accessible to people, regardless of age, disability or other factors. It addresses common barriers to participation by creating things that can be used by the ma ...

Humber College The Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, commonly known as Humber College, is a public College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1967, Humber has two main campuses: the Humber North c ...

and then Sheridan College. Originally in partnership with Carol Kelly and Heather Snell, Topping established Designable Environments Inc. in 1987, but became the sole owner in 2014. Thea Kurdi become a junior partner in 2019. He has appeared in conferences around the world educating design professionals about

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

Ontario Association of Architects The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) is the regulatory body responsible for registering and licensing all architects legally entitled to practice the scope of architecture in the Province of Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1889. Notable ...

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 Use may refer to: * Use (law), an obligation on a person to whom property has been conveyed * Use (liturgy), a special form of Roman Catholic ritual adopted for use in a particular diocese * Use–mention distinction, the distinction between using ...

to the

National Building Code of Canada The National Building Code of Canada is the model building code of Canada. It is issued by the National Research Council of Canada. As a model code, it has no legal status until it is adopted by a jurisdiction that regulates construction. History T ...

* the

Ontario Home Builders Accessible Housing Design Council Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

He is the author of "Changes: disability and the challenge of renovation" published in 1985 about his experience renovating a home for a family who had adopted several children with severe disabilities. Bob was the lead author for the City of London's Facility Accessibility Design Standards (FADS), which has become the basis for over 100 municipal and educational institutions across Ontario. Originally published in 2001, this document was different from other accessibility standards at the time because not only did it include the actual space needs of people with disabilities based on research, but also principals of Universal Design. The document is made available for free by the City of London, Ontario on their website and has been updated twice in 2004 and 2007. A new 2015 version is expected soon, including the revisions to the Ontario Building Code and the new AODA Design of Public spaces legislation. In 2008, Topping has retired from teaching full-time to focus on his work at DesignABLE Environments. As of December 31, 2021, Bob has retired as president, leaving the company in his protégée, Thea Kurdi's hands.

References

External links

Designable Environments Inc.
Bob's Mississauga-based company web page
Universal Soldier
Article about his Sheridan Universal Design course
Accessible Housing by Design — Ramps
a CMHC article
The Seven Deadly Sins assignment
Canadian architects Living people Year of birth missing (living people) {{Canada-architect-stub