by Jason Renner, Bradley Senior Product Manager

Consumers' impressions of a business are often based on how inviting its restrooms look-the experience should therefore be positive. To that end, many project managers look to create commercial restrooms that are attractive, durable, and easy to maintain. Ideally, the solution forms part of the public restroom's initial design, rather than corrections made "mid-stream." Building codes and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)guidelines dictate the number and placement of some elements. However, before selecting products, specifiers must consider restroom locations, overall traffic volume, and the number of users at peak times. The type of business can also be a factor-for example, to accommodate travelers with rolling suitcases and bulky carry-on pieces, or children in strollers, airports and retail-store restrooms need more floor space than most facilities. Whatever the business or institution, all high-traffic public restrooms must be well-maintained, user-friendly, and vandal-resistant. Older facilities can often be updated cost-effectively, since changing even a few fixtures or accessories can make a vast improvement.

Trends in restroom design

Unisex restrooms are single-user toilet rooms for use by either men or women. Family restrooms can have multiple unisex toilet rooms along with common space for handwashing, diaper changing, or other functions. These facilities are especially important for people living with physical disabilities (along with their care providers), and for families with small children, since they require additional space to accommodate wheelchairs, strollers, or medical equipment. Many U.S. states have adopted the 2003 International Building Code (IBC), requiring unisex restrooms in public assembly facilities such as malls and theaters, whether updated or newly constructed. Section 1108.2.1 of the code requires facilities with six or more male and female water closets to provide a unisex restroom, allowing adequate facilities for parents with children, among others. This trend has become more common over the last five years.

Universal design
Universal design (i.e. creating spaces to accommodate people of all ages and mobility levels) is increasingly popular in both public facilities and homes. For public restrooms, the ADA mandates variable sink heights and stalls accessible to wheelchairs. New products, such as multi-height lavatory systems, combine a low, ADA-compliant sink with a higher sink, eliminating the need for separate fixtures. They also afford convenient wheelchair access and are effective for parents with young children. For these restrooms, specifiers should consider the type and placement of fixtures, dispensers, and accessories, and ensure they can be accessed by all users. New accessories include wall-mounted child-safety seats to help parents use facilities more easily.

Going with the low flow

Today, many buildings are designed to achieve certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC's) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED®) rating system. One way to earn LEED credits is by incorporating water-conserving fixtures in the restroom. While fewer points are awarded for water conservation than some other categories on the LEED checklist, water-saving strategies are often easy to include. The five possible Water Efficiency (WE) credits are:

• WE Credit 1.1, Water-efficient Landscaping: Reduce by 50 percent;
• WE Credit 1.2, Water-efficient Landscaping: No Potable Use or No Irrigation;
• WE Credit 2, Innovative Wastewater Technologies;
• WE Credit 3.1, Water Use Reduction: 20-percent Reduction; and
• WE Credit 3.2, Water Use Reduction: 30-percent Reduction.

These credits are calculated by determining the efficiency of a facility with special water-saving measures relative to a â??baseline building' of the same size. A number of new technologies and products for restrooms can help facilities reduce water use:

1. Low-flow fixtures have already become the standard in commercial restrooms. While it was once acceptable for toilets to use 19 to 26.5 L per flush (5 to 7 gal per flush [gpf)]), they are now required to use a maximum of 6.1 L per flush (1.6 gpf). Many specifiers now opt for ultra-low-flow (i.e. below 1.6 gpf) toilets and waterless urinals for their facilities.

2. Sensor-activated flush meters can be used to control water at peak times, saving scarce resources and reducing utility charges. Managers on large-scale projects are also finding ways to reuse storm water or gray water (i.e. water used by sinks or in other areas of a facility) for toilet flushing and irrigation.

3. Infrared (IR) sensors on faucets and lavatory systems save water by ensuring it runs only when people wash their hands. Metered faucets have a flow-rate limit of 1 L per cycle (0.25 gal per cycle [gpc]), with flow-rate being defined as the amount of water used during each activation. Depending on local codes, water used by lavatories varies from 8.3 to 9.5 L per minute (Lpm) (2.2 to 2.5 gal per minute [gpm]), with many public restrooms using just 2 Lpm (0.5 gpm).

Low maintenance, busy spaces

High-traffic restrooms must withstand around-the-clock, heavy use while looking neat and tidy. To solve this challenge, some specifiers choose homogenous, solid-surface lavatory systems made from a blend of composite materials. A lavatory system is an integrated handwashing assembly containing all the components necessary for installation of the fixture, with one specification from a single manufacturer. Lavatories made of solid-surface materials are resistant to graffiti, many chemicals, burns, impact, and staining. (Fixtures constructed of a solid surface should meet American National Standard Institute/International Cast Polymer Alliance (ANSI/ICPA) SS-1, Performance Standard for Solid Surface Materials.) Coordinating fixtures and accessories are also available with vandal-resistant features-cast-brass faucets, for example, have no surface-mounted knobs to damage. Some faucets are designed with the sensor module and operating valve housed within the faucet, further discouraging damage. Selecting accessories that are recessed and flush-mounted also maximizes space and can offer a sleek look. China lavatories, while initially costing less, cannot be as easily repaired. However, solid-surface systems are not suitable for applications such as prisons or park and recreation areas that need extremely vandal-resistant fixtures, or laboratories using very corrosive chemicals.

Touch-free technology and design

Besides reducing waste, touch-free fixtures can assist in reducing germs. Following publicity about flu epidemics and other public health concerns, patrons are increasingly conscious of hygiene, and wary of touching objects handled by scores of people. A 2003 survey of International Facility Management Association (IFMA) members (primarily U.S.-based) found touchless or hands-free technology to be the most popular trend in commercial washrooms. Most hands-free fixtures are operated by IR-sensor technology, though foot-pedal and knee-activated handwashing stations are also available. In restrooms, germs tend to be concentrated in damp areas and on door handles. Space permitting, more restrooms are being designed with maze-like entrances, which afford privacy and remove the need to touch door fixtures at all.

Fixtures
New light-activated lavatory systems use photovoltaic (PV) cells integrated into the top of a lavatory system to convert restroom lighting/daylighting into energy, stored and used to power valves and sensors in the handwashing fixtures. These fixtures eliminate the need for batteries and electrical hookups, which in turn reduces maintenance. Handwashing fixtures with low-flow faucets help meet LEED credits for water savings, along with other water-saving washroom fixtures.

Hands-free faucets in public facilities can also encourage more handwashing, which is a critical step in resisting infection. The Handwashing Study, conducted in 2000 by the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), found on average only 67 percent of restroom patrons actually wash their hands before exiting (58 percent of males, 75 percent of females).

Soap- and towel-dispensers
Empty soap- and towel-dispensers are a major irritant for public-restroom users. Designers and specifiers should place these dispensers in areas that both encourage use and prevent water/soap spills on floors, which can be a serious safety hazard. Hands-free, sensor-operated soap dispensers and motion-activated towel dispensers contribute to a minimal-touch design, and are more reliable than in the past. However, they can cost slightly more up-front. Another solution is to specify electric hand-dryers over hand-towel dispensers (this also keeps the restocking of inventory to a minimum).

Warm-look environments

Since customers can judge a business/institution based on the appearance of its public restrooms, it is important to consider cost-effective accessories and fixtures that invite patrons to return. Many facilities designers and specifiers are borrowing from the warm colors and textures found in residential projects, rather than relying on institutional white. Many lavatories, toilet partitions, and accessories can be ordered in complementary or coordinating colors for added appeal. Paint is another inexpensive way to add color to a restroom design, and Green Seal-certified paints with low-volatile organic compounds (VOCs), or none at all, release few pollutants but remain durable enough for high-traffic facilities.

Modern restrooms can also incorporate elaborate architectural elements such as sweeping lines, curved sinks, and rounded shapes rather than traditional square ones. Depending on the business, accessories like oval mirrors can give restrooms visual appeal. Lighting in restrooms is an important element as well. Good lighting lets users see how clean restrooms are, while poor, dim lighting can make even a spotless facility seem poorly maintained and depressing.

 

About the Author
Jason Renner is senior product manager at Bradley Corporation. He has spent more than 10 years with the company, and is currently responsible for lavatory system products. He can be reached at [email protected], or at (800) 272-3539.