luxury with a conscience
Luxury with a conscience
TM
Water-efficient high-spec bathrooms no longer a pipe dream.
By Graham Fisher
Bathrooms and en-suite consumed for domestic use. Of mounted on a wall and then
bedrooms offer a range of this, a surprisingly high percentage concealed from view using
contemporary and sleek design – 33 per cent - is used for baths plasterboard.
options. But what about and showers and 30 per cent for When it comes to baths,
meeting the Code for WCs. The benefit of an Ecoplay architects do not need to specify
Sustainable Homes? Will this greywater management system is shallower and smaller baths to
reduce design scope? By that it targets these appliances reduce water consumption. A
investing in innovative micro- which are the biggest offenders of greywater management system
renewable technologies, such excessive water consumption and can allow for free standing cast
as greywater management re-uses this water to dramatically iron baths to be fitted into homes
systems, luxurious bathrooms reduce waste. to meet high-spec criteria outlined
Graham Fisher is Business
can be created without the Architects should not just be by clients. Power showers can also
Development Director for Ecoplay.
need for compromise, says interested in greywater recycling be used, despite the fact that they
Graham Fisher, Business from a ‘green’ perspective. It has use around 12 litres of water per
Development Director at CME many practical benefits too, as minute, because, ultimately, all this
Sanitary Systems. there is no need to restrict product water is being fed along hidden
choice for bathrooms, which may pipe work into the greywater
G
reywater management have previously been hindered by management system to be re-used
systems work by recycling the the need to reduce water to flush up to two toilets.
water used in baths and consumption down to 105 litres As for the toilet itself, a typical
showers to flush one or more WCs. per person, per day, as demanded flush from traditional cistern toilets
It is a simple idea, but a highly by CFSH level 3/4. uses approximately six litres of
effective one, considering that this What a greywater management water. A greywater management
type of domestic water consumption system means is that water can be system negates the need to use
accounts for over 60 per cent of recycled, but crucially, without the fresh water for each flush by
total household water usage. need to make sacrifices on the recycling the high amounts of
As a result, water consumption, overall designs of bathrooms and water used in baths and showers.
just like energy use, is now a comfort they provide. It is a The beauty of this system is that
pressing environmental issue when blueprint for the development of the more a bath and shower is
looking to meet the Code for other sustainable technologies, as used, the more water is recycled
Sustainable Homes. The ‘water’ it combines the ideals of and the more water efficient a
category offers five credits within environmentalists, with the household becomes. It is also low
the Code, which is the second pragmatic requirements of maintenance and self-cleaning,
highest behind the ‘energy/CO2’ designers whose primary motive is highlighting it as a user-friendly
category and is therefore having a specifying high quality products. renewable technology.
palpable effect on bathroom For instance, a greywater Rather than forcing
design considerations. management system allows for householders to use less water,
In Britain, we are a long way traditional water-thirsty cistern greywater management systems’
away from becoming a water- toilets to be replaced with more focus on recycling water, creating
efficient nation. It is calculated contemporary options like wall a more sustainable system without
that each person in this country hung toilets. This is because the the need to compromise on luxury
uses on average 150 litres of water grey water tank is boxed into a in the bathroom. ■
per day, with over half our water metal frame, which can be simply
22 Architects Choice
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