Washroom architecture
Washroom architecture refers to the architectural design and layout of washroom facilities, usually of a public commercial, or industrial facility.
A washroom (known also as a "wash room") is a room for washing one's hands (i.e. a lavatory), but the term also is used to denote a toilet room, also sometimes referred to as a "restroom".
| Contents |
Terminology
Usually the term "washroom" is used to denote a public, commercial, or industrial facility designed for high throughput, wheras a similar term "bathroom" is used to denote a smaller, often residential facility for lesser throughput (i.e. often for only one person at a time to use).
The terminology "washroom" is preferred to "wash room" because it helps disambiguate, e.g. "washroom" is a unique text string that can be searched, and also "wash room" could mean telling someone to wash a room, e.g. it might not be a washroom, maybe if someone were saying to wash the living room, they might say "wash room"...
Gender segregation and differences in fixtures in men's and women's facilities
Washrooms are often segregated by gender, there being two washroom facilities in many public spaces, one facility for women, and another facility for men. A men's washroom typically contains the following five kinds of fixtures: toilets, sinks (with faucets and soap dispensers), urinals, and hand dryers.
Fixtures
Washrooms usually contain the following fixtures (the urinals generally being only present on the men's side):
- Water Closets (Toilets)
- Urinals
- Lavatories:
- Handwash faucets;
- Soap dispensers;
- Hand dryers or paper towel dispensers;
- Sometimes showers are also present, along with soap, shampoo, or similar dispensors.
Modern washroom architecture
Modern washrooms usually have the following features:
- doorless entry (labyrinth entrance) which helps to avoid the spread of disease that might otherwise occur when touching a common door handle, door pull, push plate, or the like. Doorless entry provides visual privacy from persons of the other gender, while also providing a lack of audible privacy, e.g. if a fight breaks out in a washroom, or someone is being mugged, persons outside can hear the commotion and summon appropriate authorities. Also, since other people can come in through the labyrinth, which entry is silent, persons inside have no advance warning, and are therefore unlikely to vandalize the facility, knowing anyone could "walk in on them" at any time.
- sensor operated fixtures to prevent the spread of disease that might otherwise occur through touching of actuators or controls. Sensor operated fixtures also save water by ensuring fixtures are only flushed once (i.e. shutting down vandalism, flooding, repeated flushing, etc.), and last longer (fewer moving parts), resulting in less need for maintainance.
Backworld service access and utilities passages
Modern washrooms often have a backworld service entrance, utilities passages, and the like, that run behind all the fixtures. Wall mount toilets that bolt on from behind the wall have replaced floor mount toilets. Sensors are installed in a separate room, behind the fixtures. Usually the separate room is just a narrow corridor, or narrow passageway. Each sensor views through a small window into each fixture. Sometimes the metal plates that house the sensor windows are bolted on from behind, to prevent tampering. Additionally, all of the electrical equipment is safely behind the walls, so that there is no danger of electric shock. However, a RCCB must be (and usually is) still used for all such electrical equipment.
A futuristic architecture is often achieved through a nice juxtaposition of industrial concrete, glass brick, some high quality black marble, and stainless steel structural supports, where the glass brick also serves to separate the backworld passage from the main washroom. The use of sensor operated sinks, toilets, urinals, and hand dryers, together with backworld-installed lighting often adds to the modern aesthetic and functionality.
Backworld lighting consisting of windows that run all the way around the outside of the washrooms uses electric lights behind the windows, to create the illusion of extensive natural light, even when the washrooms are underground or otherwise don't have access to natural light. The windows are sometimes made of glass brick, permanently cemented in place. Lighting installed in service tunnels that run around the outside of the washrooms provides optimum safety from electrical shock (keeping the lights outside the washrooms), hygiene (no cracks or openings), security (no way for vandals to access the light bulbs), and aesthetics (clean architectural lines that maintain a continuity of whatever aesthetic design is present, e.g. the raw industrial urban aesthetic that works well with glass brick).
Multi-use facilities
Some washrooms also function, in part, as changerooms, owing to their gender-segregated nature. For example, in beach areas, a portion of each washroom is often equipped with benches so that persons can change into or out of their bathingsuits. In this case, some such washrooms include a sixth and seventh kind of fixture: showers; and soap/shampoo dispensers. Many modern showers and soap/shampoo dispensers are sensor operated, and time-out when used excessively.
External links
- Shutting down vandalism (http://asumag.com/Washrooms/university_using_less_staying/) (modern washroom design)
- The use of glass brick as an industrial architectural aesthetic in underground washrooms/changerooms (http://wearcam.org/dundas-square/2004oct09/washrooms/)
Categories: Architectural elements