WASHROOM CREATING AN EXPERIENCE
Chris Beattie, Marketing and Sales Director at Dolphin Solutions, gives his perspective and advice
on public washroom best practice and how to create a wow-factor washroom that visitors will remember.
Washrooms are an increasingly important aspect of workplaces, schools and public buildings, and the design of these locations can not only improve washroom hygiene but also the overall experience for the user. Research from a Harris Poll survey found that 86% of people are more likely to return to a place when washroom facilities are pleasant and hygienic.
LOCATION Public areas such as airports,
shopping centres and football stadiums are very high traffic environments that often invite hygiene problems. In this type of location, washrooms should be designed and configured correctly; even the smallest tweak to a design can have a large impact on a user’s washroom experience. For example, in a busy washroom with high footfall, it is beneficial to create a streamlined path, making the facilities efficient and easy to access. This will ensure long queues don’t form and it’s simple for maintenance staff to get in and out.
Small public washrooms can look spacious and practical if designed and decorated correctly. Good lighting, bright colours and clever storage all create the illusion of more space. Small washrooms should not be crammed with facilities; less is more. Users still need to be able to move easily within the space while fulfilling all of their needs. A clever solution would be a behind mirror system such as our Alavo range; this reduces the space needed for dispensers giving a much more streamlined look and feel to the
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washroom. Positioning mirrors in the right place also reflects light and visually increases the space.
In addition, the use of modern appliances, such as high-speed hand dryers is worth considering. Users will not only gain the advantage of increased hygiene but their time in the facility will be minimised allowing for more footfall. Our Velocity range consists of 21 high speed, high performance hand dryers and can be a great consideration for a washroom with high footfall. The ‘sweetspot’ design delivers energy efficiency, reduced noise and versatility, making them really easy to fit into most designs.
LAYOUT An ideal washroom would have
basins 600-900mm apart with amenities hidden behind a mirror just like our Alavo system. If this is not possible, taps should be mounted on the splash back of the vanity to avoid creating small corners and spaces that are difficult to clean.
Ideally you want all facilities including, basins, taps, soap dispenser, hand dryers or hand towel dispensers in a compact environment. This avoids mess or added aggravation for the user. If hand dryers or towel dispensers are not located above the basin, they should be positioned close to the vanity unit; otherwise water will be dripped onto the floor creating a slip hazard and added work for the maintenance personnel.
Bins should be positioned close to any hand towel dispensers
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