Design Inspiration Series: The Business of Bathrooms!

As little as five years ago, a bathroom was just that: a place with sinks, stalls, toilets and paper towel dispensers. Now, toilets flush hands-free, you have paperless hand driers, the soap is dispensed automatically and pretty soon you can download your personal scent of hand sanitizer with just one click! Maybe that last one is a little extravagant, but bathrooms are modern now, and everyday users of all ages need to know how to use them. Switches, controls, instructions, and dispensers must be understandable to the broadest audience possible, accessible from numerous heights, and usable by many alternative means.

It is important to keep your audience feeling safe. If they have to wander to an isolated area to use a restroom, they will not feel comfortable. Poorly lit areas, isolated regions and uncanny locations, turn visitors off to the park. Avoid placing public amenities in situations where users are isolated. Isolation, though not a physical threat itself, places the vulnerable user at greater risk to crime.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and vanity is pride’s cousin, but there’s more purpose to a mirror than just to admire yourself. Reflective surfaces, such as mirrors, should be installed so that those using them may observe anyone approaching. No matter how great an attraction may be, or the how great the services within are, if patrons feel insecure while strolling through a facility, chances are they won’t return.

Restrooms

Restrooms are an amenity particularly in demand by all segments of the community. Everyone at some point throughout the day you WILL need a restroom. Lack of access can result in severe discomfort or embarrassment. Consequently, they should be available to everyone.

Guidelines:

Restrooms in particular are areas that need a lot of water in order to function properly, and where there’s water, there’s spills…

Never touch a nasty toilet handle again as ADMSP will provide automatic flush plumbing or a large flush activation switch placed so that it can be activated with the gross movement of a hand, shoulder, or elbow.

As part of the restroom guidelines, we can’t forget about the little ones who still use Pampers Diapers as means of making a fashion statement. Guidelines state to provide changing tables for care of infants in at least one restroom at a height usable by people of all statures whether standing or seated.

Provide a single use or family style restrooms in addition to gender-specific facilities, This eliminates the worry all Mom’s have when little Bobby goes into the gentlemen’s restroom on his own, only to walk out with a hands full of germs and a smile!

Provide a floor-to-ceiling mirror to enable use by anyone.

For the elderly, or physically impaired, handrails are a necessity and no public facility should be without them. Position handrails and grab bars so that they are not obstructed by soap or towel dispensers.

Provide a choice of heights for toilets to allow all users to keep their feet in contact with the floor and to facilitate transfers onto toilets.

Stalls should provide either a shelf or ledge to keep personal items off the floor, and should be large enough to accommodate the user with packages or luggage, because who wants to put gift bags on the floor? Eww.

Hand dryers and/or towel dispensers should be placed at heights that accommodate people of all statures whether standing or seated. Mount at least one in a lower position.

Consider providing a lavatory inside a large toilet stall.

Areas of Public Information Display

All great parks have them. An information booth designed to do just that. What’s available, how to get around and answers to Frequently Asked Questions all in one place.  Keeping your guests informed eliminates frustrations and allows for a pleasant experience. Public information displays should present information so that it can be accessed and understood by everyone.

Guidelines:

Information displays should be organized intuitively, making them simple to use and understand. Where a key or legend is necessary, it should be prominently displayed. If information booths are complicated or difficult to understand, their purpose is defeated, and visitors will miss out on significant attractions if they are disoriented or irritated by the lack of direction.

Information should be provided in as large a format as is practical.

Information should be provided in as many alternative formats as possible, such as raised letters, large print, Braille, voice, etc., and be clearly marked. In a multi-cultural public facility, the more languages, the better it is for our ethnic/international guests. YOU ARE HERE. USTED ESTÁ AQUÍ. VOUS ETES ICI. SIE SIND HIER…

Where activation switches are necessary, they should be easily identifiable and positioned so that they are operable by anyone.

Maps, directories, and information displays should be arranged spatially to accommodate all users.

Place repetitive displays of maps, directories, or information in a consistent manner so users can predict their locations.

Drinking Fountains

Take comfort in consistency. In this fast paced world of technology, digital, and wireless, there’s one this has stayed the same since it was first created: The Water Fountain. Public drinking fountains need to be usable by everyone, and should be selected to ensure that their design features accommodate the widest possible range of user requirements.

Guidelines:

Drinking fountains should be located along an accessible path of travel offering space to use the fountain from either a standing or seated position without being in the path of traffic.

All fountains should ensure approach and use by anyone. All great water fountains know this: their sole purpose is to offer you a cool drink.

The activation switch should be conveniently located, and its means of operation should be obvious, intuitive and usable by anyone.  No passwords, logins or cryptic codes here, folks!

Parents with a diaper bag, stroller, gift bags, video camera, and snacks don’t have to carry their kids to reach the top of water fountain anymore! The fountain should be positioned at a height that enables all users to reach the drinking stream – even little art lovers!

The drain should facilitate rapid emptying of the basin.

WHO KNEW? NOW WE KNOW.

ADMSP- Public Amenities