Alex Topps OALA CSLA

(SPECIAL ADVISOR)

After graduating in 1970 with a Bachelor of Commerce and Finance, Alex returned to the University of Toronto to acquire a second degree in landscape architecture. His life-long passion for design, craftsmanship and the environment, combined with an unusual background in finance and management, has been immensely valuable to the firm.

Alex enjoys a highly loyal and very design-conscious client group, in whose success he takes great pride. He seeks out assignments and relationships that build into lasting partnerships and repeat business. Clients especially value his ability to manage complex approval processes and mediate often challenging regulatory situations.

Alex is design-focused, spanning the full spectrum of traditional landscape architecture, environmental planning and urban design. He is particularly sensitive to the value of art in the landscape and has facilitated the introduction of public art into several significant public spaces. In recent years, Alex has expanded the firm’s role into litigation support as an expert witness in construction matters. He has also pioneered the development of a sophisticated and single purpose contract administration division.

As one of the firm’s founding partners, Alex looks back with great affection to the early days when he had to climb a ladder to get to his drafting board in the loft of the first office. His focus going forward is the on-going mentorship of younger professionals and the building of an even more diverse and multi-disciplinary firm, one that will endure and prosper in a complex global business environment.