Men's Toilet *

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Context

Specific-gender bathrooms are usually found in Hotels, Restaurants, etc., all of which are facilities that are meant for large-scale occupancy. Men's toilets can be indoors in buildings, or outdoors in sheds (in public areas such as parks) and are usually in close proximity to the Ladies' Toilet.

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Problem Statement

The men's toilet has a number of layout challenges for the architect: when the door is opened, the interior should not be revealed to the public, as passers-by may be able to see inside; also, the location of the urinals, the sinks, and the toilet seats are important, as they must facilitate smooth traffic flow of people in and out of the bathroom; and they must restrict the users of the toilet to their customers only to prevent overuse (and hence higher cleaning costs).

Description

All hotels and restaurants have public toilets open to their guests/ residents/clientele. We know that this is a vital feature of these places, since it is almost inevitable that one must go to the toilet at some point or the other while at these places.

Current men's toilets seem to need the following main elements: a set of urinals, a set of toilet seats in enclosed cubicles, and sinks near mirrors, with paper towels or air-dryers conveniently located nearby. The layout of these basic elements is what is of concern, because the nature of this facility is such that privacy is of the utmost importance. It is not a social arena like what the ladies' room is, and hence the place need not be designed for interpersonal interaction. In fact, it is often observed that only at the sinks is there any social interaction at all (most men tend to avoid talking while inside). It should be brightly lit and clean, so that it does not disgust the men. There should be ample manoeuvring room so that men can walk in and out without having to touch each other. Also, when entering and exiting the toilet, men prefer not to touch the door handle, as it may be wet or dirty, hence having a swivel door is preferable to one with a door handle. To prevent the general public from swarming into the toilet, and to make traffic flow smooth, it is better to locate the toilet such that it is accessible only from the inside of the facility, and furthermore the entrance should be to the rear of the facility since most people do not want to see the toilet when they enter a restaurant, and they do not mind walking to the rear to use it.

Solution

Therefore, men's toilets should be in ever hotel and restaurant, situated in the rear, and accessible through a swivel door. A simple dividing wall should be placed right after the door, to block off any wandering eyes from peeking inside. They should be brightly lit and clean, and have urinals, cubicles for toilet seats, and sinks with mirrors and hand-drying facilities nearby. There should be ample walking room, and the layout should maximise traffic flow.

Diagram

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References

Building the component parts require knowledge of: urinals, toilet seat cubicles, sinks and mirrors, public area dividing walls, bathroom doors.