Imagine two restrooms for public use. There are two public restrooms. The other is a remote trailhead surrounded with open land.

Both offer the same basic service, but treating the two buildings as identical does not consider the way in which different sites operate.

Good public restroom buildings begin with the site. Who will use the facility? How many people may arrive at once? What utilities are available? How far will visitors have to walk? What architecture surrounds the building?

Image credit: romtec.com

How you answer those questions will influence any decision that is made.

Begin by looking at how people navigate through the site.

Toilets’ placement shouldn’t be taken as a separate thing from the design and other elements of parks. In a sports facility, visitors may arrive in large numbers around activities and games. The location of restrooms near a playground must be convenient for families, in addition to being secure and accessible to pedestrians. In urban settings the dimensions of sidewalk restrooms could be smaller and they may need to complement other streetscape features.

The structure is only one component of the experience. The place of the building’s location is influenced by many aspects, including its accessibility, the proximity of activities routes, entrances and pathways.

Remote sites can cause a new issue

Removing the project from existing streets and infrastructure. It could be difficult to connect a scenic view or trailhead, campground, or even an ordinary sewer system. When the circumstances are right vault toilets offer an alternative to toilet facilities to be used in areas that traditional plumbing infrastructure could be impossible or unpractical.

This alters the discussion about design. Instead of selecting a building first, project teams are able to evaluate the site’s conditions and determine which restroom system makes sense for the location.

Capacity should reflect real use

A quiet park in the neighborhood and local sports facilities do not have the same traffic patterns. Peak demand is critical. It’s not enough to have your facility in good condition on the afternoon of a Tuesday.

Before construction, owners should consider the actual usage of restrooms, such as their size, layout, and maintenance requirements.

For companies looking to construct the possibility of prefabricated parks restrooms the flexibility is useful since the building could be designed to meet the needs of the project instead of having to build the facility in the predetermined design.

The Architecture Conversation is Still Relevant to Us

The design of a bathroom is essential, however it should not be ignored because the purpose is far more important. A restroom is a visible part of a public space. The forms of the roof, sidings, colors, fixtures and masonry could be used to link it to the adjacent pavilions, concessions and natural surroundings, or a community design theme.

Romtec’s unique approach permits project teams to blend different material, colors, shapes and exterior styles rather than being limited to the same appearance.

Design for Place, not Just for Function

Romtec collaborates with park owners as well as landscape architects and contractors to plan, construct, and supply restroom buildings and other public buildings. Its expertise extends to documenting the construction process and code requirements, ADA considerations as well as the engineering process, selecting components and construction across the United States.

However, the important starting point is surprisingly simple. Don’t start by asking what restroom facilities you could put on the site. Start by analyzing the activities, people, infrastructure, and the environment that is already there. Make sure the building you design fits with the existing environment.