Restroom design
BY KRIS ALDERSON
Contributing writer
The days of the old-fashioned, tired-looking public restroom are steadily falling by the wayside, making way for restrooms that feel more like home. Today's commercial restroom designs are gravitating toward an appealing clean and contemporary look inspired by popular residential design trends. The chipping tile walls and dated laminate countertops in commercial restrooms are being replaced by high-quality materials such as resilient granite and other natural looking stone and sleek stainless steel.
It appears that this shift toward residential design may have more staying power than your average design trend, based on the durability of the materials and on several other related factors. First, there's a growing consumer preference for attractive, spa-like bathrooms in their own homes. Our society has also developed a greater awareness of and disdain for germs in public places, which raises the standard for well-designed lavatory systems with touchless features. Furthermore, there are a variety of new technologies that are designed to enhance overall restroom performance and user satisfaction.
Commercial retail restrooms are one case in point. Women, most retailers' primary target, who make or influence 95 percent of all purchase decisions, can be easily influenced themselves by the design of a store's restroom. Conveniently located restrooms that are clean and well-designed can make the difference between leaving the store - perhaps never to return - and staying to shop a while longer. As a result, restroom product manufacturers are responding with an array of new plumbing fixtures and accessories that help contractors, architects and designers incorporate a store's design into the washroom spaces.
Attaining both durability and aesthetic appeal in commercial restroom design is no longer an oxymoron. More decorative plumbing fixtures are now being used in commercial applications. In fact, one manufacturer has created an entire new category of products under the "high-end, decorative, commercial" plumbing umbrella. The good news is that these new offerings are cost-effective, have a longer lifecycle than china lavs and similar old-fashioned commercial restroom standbys and can help achieve green standards for restroom design.
Upscale materials enhance look and longevity
Just as stainless steel has replaced white, almond and avocado appliances in kitchens, it's becoming the material of choice in commercial interiors and restrooms. The popularity of stainless steel appliances in the home makes stainless an appealing material for public restrooms, because it suggests high quality and serves as a cool contrast to other colors and tones in the restroom. While stainless steel has been used for some time as a durable finish for dispensers and other accessories, designers are now using stainless to make a true design statement.
Toilet partitions, for instance, which were once low on the restroom priority list, have now moved up on the list. The luster of stainless steel with a brushed pattern can transform the look of toilet partitions as well as the overall look of a commercial restroom. The bonus is that the surface cannot be easily scratched or damaged and does not require painting, making it ideal for high traffic washrooms.
Other upscale design accents for toilet partitions that exude luxury will increasingly be made available, such as genuine granite pilasters and partition panels combined with stainless steel doors. A number of granite and alternative material options will be available that can be offset by the softer feel of stainless steel with brushed, textured and leather-grain finishes. These textures make the stainless more forgiving and eliminate the need for frequent polishing to remove fingerprints.
Similarly, outdated single-user china lavs have given way to beautiful solid surface lavatory systems and lavatory decks in commercial restrooms. Lavatory systems are not only more cost effective to install and maintain but, due to their unique designs, they also help keep water and soap from dripping onto the floor. Plus, solid surface materials can be easily repaired if chipped. A wide range of color choices is available, such as organic shades with larger chips of aggregate that create a more natural look, without the need for regular sealing.
As recycling and green building have become a way of life in our industry, recycled solid surface materials for lavs are now available. Look for eco-friendly, bio-based resin with pre-consumer recycled fillers and other natural materials that are as durable as they are environmentally conscious.
Customizing design for the application
Inspired by the popularity of vessel sinks designed for residential applications, contemporary-looking solid surface vessel sink lavatory units are now making their debut in commercial restrooms. Vessel sink systems create a unique public, yet personal, space that is also easily accessible.
These fixtures are known for design flexibility and can be customized in terms of color, height of each vessel sink and several other design elements such as deck- or wall-mounted faucets. These systems can accommodate vessel sinks in different heights to provide a standard-height sink and a lower, ADA-compliant sink all in one pre-assembled unit. Custom finishes may include a choice of edge treatments on the lavatory deck and an extensive color palette to create a complementary look between the lav deck and vessel sinks.
A complete system, with both the lavatory deck and vessels made of a durable solid surface material, provides commercial restrooms the most longevity. Another advantage of a solid surface system is its seamless, smooth design, which makes for easy cleaning and has no nooks or crannies for germ and bacteria build-up.
Speaking of germs, commercial restrooms brought touchless faucets into vogue years ago, but now the newer commercial fixtures are mimicking residential faucet trends. Wall-mounted faucets are one way to update the look, as is mounting faucets through a mirror.
Hands-free technology has also advanced to the next level with new capacitive sensing technology, which eliminates the sensor windows on faucets that can be punctured or cracked. These new faucets are known for their attractive curves, but are also highly vandal resistant. The spout of a capacitive sensing faucet serves as an omni-directional sensor that is set off by any angle of approach. The payoff: Users are less frustrated, and maintenance has fewer headaches.
There are a number of ways to adapt residential design concepts to commercial restrooms, whether it's the overall design, fixture selection or the vase of flowers placed on the countertop. Plumbing manufacturers are offering more products than ever before to help contractors, designers and architects bring this trend to a variety of facilities with great success. Not only are these products aesthetically pleasing and easier to keep clean but the higher quality finishes and more durable fixtures translate to lower operating costs over the project's lifecycle and beyond.
Kris Alderson is a senior marketing manager for Bradley Corp. of Menomonee Falls, Wis., a USGBC member and a manufacturer of locker room products, plumbing fixtures, washroom accessories, partitions and emergency fixtures. For more information, call 800/BRADLEY or visit www.bradleycorp.com.