How Can Great Design Improve The Public Washroom Experience?

The most important part of any public building is its washroom facilities, as they will determine whether many people can enjoy the building and the surrounding area comfortably.

This concept, known as the “washroom leash”, has become increasingly important as a growing number of public facilities close, but whilst capacity is an issue that can be resolved through flat pack cubicles and uniform installations, how they look and how they feel is similarly important.

A roundtable discussion organised by the Royal Institute of British Architects Journal illustrated and highlighted the importance of public washrooms not only as functional conveniences but as features of the building that nearly everyone is expected to experience.

There are some particularly fascinating points with takeaways that can be applied far beyond the Tokyo Toilet Project and into offices, shopping centres, public buildings and any washroom expected to be used by the general public.

Should Washroom Designers Take Inspiration From The Victorian Era?

Many of the most memorable washrooms in the United Kingdom are often older facilities that have been preserved and upgraded over time, with the most common of these being dated to the late Victorian and early Edwardian era from the late 19th up until the early 20th century.

The Westminster Toilets Project had this focus as its explicit design brief, and there are other public washrooms throughout the country that have become part of the nation’s listed heritage.

Why is this? One of the big reasons is that there was a belief that public washrooms were important parts of urban areas and would invest in materials and designs commensurate with that importance.

However, it must be noted that many Victorian public washrooms were relatively expensive for-profit businesses that were simply unaffordable for the vast majority of people living in the cities where they were installed.

That expense stands in contrast to the otherwise welcoming and accessible spaces they have since become.

Have Attitudes Changed Towards Public Washrooms?

One of the reasons why this has changed, according to the RIBAJ roundtable, is that the attitudes that the general public, businesses and especially political figures have towards them have changed.

There was what was described as an “erosion” to where people want to keep them out of sight and out of mind, even if that means they end up underfunded, under-maintained and neglected.

Part of the reason for this is optics; whilst they are exceptionally important, some people are reluctant for their legacy to be defined by advocating for, funding and sponsoring public washrooms. The often glib idiom for this is that nobody wants to be known as the “Minister for Toilets”. 

Thankfully, this attitude may be reversing again, thanks in part to the Pride In Place strategy. Point 99 emphasises the vital importance of public toilets and offers funding for them to local authorities.

In Japan, LDP upper house member Haruko Arimura even proudly took on the unofficial moniker of “Minister for Toilets”, according to Japan Today, highlighting the importance of public facilities to the overall experience of public spaces.

Has Designing Against Crime Harmed The Public Washroom Experience?

The roundtable also suggested that there is an uneasy tension between designing ways to eradicate unwanted behaviour and providing a hospitable space for legitimate users of washrooms.

One example of this is blue lighting in nightclub washrooms and some inner-city public facilities, which is often used to stop the use of classified substances. This light can make other users uncomfortable and have an adverse effect on the one intended by building owners.

At the same time, security is a necessity in order for public washrooms to feel safe and comfortable to use, so building owners and designers have to design around balance.

Will We See The End Of All-Porcelain Toilet Cubicles And Washrooms?

For several decades, the roundtable argued, there has been a focus on all-white public washroom spaces, based on the late-era Victorian notion of associating white with hygiene and cleanliness.

However, this is starting to change, partly due to matters of practicality but also due to a growing trend towards spa-style washrooms in the home.

The matters of practicality are the requirement to establish a sense of visual contrast as required by Approved Document T, which means that porcelain toilet bowls, white toilet seats and white tiles can become confusing and frustrating.

Thankfully, there are a lot of ways to fix issues of visual contrast, most of which will be more evocative of the types of public washrooms from a bygone golden age.