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A 'washroom' is a room for washing one's hands (such as a lavatory), but the term also is used to denote a 'public toilet', 'comfort room', 'toilet room', 'bathroom', or 'restroom' (see above). Some washrooms also include full-body bathing facilities such as shower.
'Washroom architecture' refers to the architectural design and layout of washroom facilities, usually of a public commercial, or industrial facility.

Contents

Terminology

Gender and public washrooms

Fixtures

Modern washroom architecture

Service access and utilities passages

Multi-use facilities

Cleanliness

See also

References

External links

Terminology

Usually the term "washroom" is used to denote a public, commercial, or industrial personal hygiene facility designed for high throughput, whereas a similar term "bathroom" is used to denote a smaller, often residential facility for lesser throughput (i.e., often for only one person at a time to use).
The word originated in the United States and is currently the preferred term in Canada; in American English, "bathroom" or "restroom" are now more common. In Britain, Australia, Hong Kong (as ''toilets'') and New Zealand, the terms in use are "public toilets" and (more informally) "public loos". In the rest of the world (usually Africa, Middle East, and Southeast Asia) the term "Comfort room" is used. Furthermore many European washroom doors are simply marked "WC", for water closet, which may be confusing for non-Europeans. One reason some Americans prefer "restroom" over "bathroom" is that restrooms do not have bathtubs. The word "washroom" is also sometimes used in the United States to denote a "laundry room".

Gender and public washrooms

Separation by sex is so characteristic of public toilets that pictograms of a man or a woman are used to indicate where the respective toilets are. These pictograms are sometimes enclosed within standard geometric forms to reinforce this information, with a circle representing a women's toilet and a triangle representing a men's facility. Symbols such as the DOT pictograms have been criticized for perpetuating gender stereotypes; however, there may be no practical alternatives.
Sex-separated public washrooms are a source of difficulty for some people, such as those with children of the opposite sex, or men caring for babies when only the women's washroom has been fitted with a change table.
Sex-separated public washrooms are often difficult to negotiate for transgendered or androgynous people, who are often subject to embarrassment, harassment, or even assault or arrest by others offended by the presence of a person they interpret as being of the other gender. Transgendered people have been arrested for using not only bathrooms that correspond to their gender of identification, but also ones that correspond to the gender they believe themselves to have been assigned at birth.
Many existing public washrooms are gender-neutral. Additionally, some public places (such as facilities targeted to the transgendered or homosexual communities, and a few universities and offices) provide individual washrooms that are not gender-specified, specifically in order to respond to the concerns of gender-variant people; but this remains very rare and often controversial. ^[1] Various courts have ruled on whether transgendered people have the right to use the washroom of their gender of identification. ^[2]
A significant number of facilities have additional gender-neutral public washrooms to accommodate disabled or elderly persons who may require assistance from a spouse or a caregiver of the other gender.

Toilets in private homes are practically never separated by sex, except in the Middle East.

Fixtures

Washrooms usually contain the following fixtures (the urinals generally being only present on the men's side):

★ Toilets

★ Bidets

★ Urinals

★ Handwash faucets (i.e taps);

★ Soap dispensers;

★ Hand dryers or towel dispensers which can either contain paper or reusable cloth;

★ Sometimes showers are also present, sometimes with soap, shampoo, or similar dispensers.

★ antiseptic handwash

★ garbage can, waste can

★ mirrors

Modern washroom architecture

The architect Frank Lloyd Wright claimed to have "invented the hung wall for the w.c. (easier to clean under)" when he designed the Larkin Administration Building in Buffalo, New York in 1904.

Modern washrooms usually have the following features:

★ Doorless entry (labyrinth entrance) prevents the spread of disease that might otherwise occur when coming in contact with a door. Doorless entry provides visual privacy while simultaneously offering a measure of security by allowing the passage of sound. Doorless entry also helps deter vandalism; fewer audible clues to another person entering discourages some vandals. Doorless entry may also be achieved simply by keeping an existing door propped open, closed only when necessary.

★ Sensor operated fixtures prevent the spread of disease by allowing patrons to circumvent the need to touch common surfaces. Sensor operated fixtures also help conserve water by limiting the amount used per flush, and require less routine maintenance.

Service access and utilities passages

Modern washrooms often have a service entrance, utilities passages, and the like, that run behind all the fixtures. Wall mount toilets that bolt on from behind the wall have replaced floor mount toilets. Sensors are installed in a separate room, behind the fixtures. Usually the separate room is just a narrow corridor, or narrow passageway. Each sensor views through a small window into each fixture. Sometimes the metal plates that house the sensor windows are bolted on from behind, to prevent tampering. Additionally, all of the electrical equipment is safely behind the walls, so that there is no danger of electric shock. However, a RCCB must be (and usually is) still used for all such electrical equipment.
Futuristic architecture is often achieved through a nice juxtaposition of industrial concrete, glass brick, some high quality black marble, and stainless steel structural supports, where the glass brick also serves to separate the service passage from the main washroom. The use of sensor operated sinks, toilets, urinals, and hand dryers, together with service-installed lighting often adds to the modern aesthetic and functionality.
Service lighting consisting of windows that run all the way around the outside of the washrooms uses electric lights behind the windows, to create the illusion of extensive natural light, even when the washrooms are underground or otherwise don't have access to natural light. The windows are sometimes made of glass brick, permanently cemented in place. Lighting installed in service tunnels that run around the outside of the washrooms provides optimum safety from electrical shock (keeping the lights outside the washrooms), hygiene (no cracks or openings), security (no way for vandals to access the light bulbs), and aesthetics (clean architectural lines that maintain a continuity of whatever aesthetic design is present, e.g., the raw industrial urban aesthetic that works well with glass brick).

Multi-use facilities

Some washrooms also function, in part, as changerooms, owing to their gender-segregated nature. For example, in beach areas, a portion of each washroom is often equipped with benches so that persons can change into or out of their bathing suits. Some such washrooms also include showers and soap/shampoo dispensers. Many modern showers and soap/shampoo dispensers are sensor-operated, and time out when used excessively.

Cleanliness

Most public washrooms around the world are generally dirty due to heavy traffic. Many stores prohibit non-patrons from using their facilities as public washrooms. Some go as far as locking the doors and providing keys to patrons only.
Some cities, like Philadelphia, are launching major efforts to install dozens of high-tech, self-cleaning public pay toilets in their heaviest pedestrian and tourist areas.^[3]

See also

★ Toilet granny

★ Sanisette

References

1. http://www.mcgill.ca/reporter/36/12/transgender
2. http://www.herizons.ca/magazine/issues/fal01
3. Jan. 23, 2007, DAN GERINGER, 35 self-cleaning facilities could be operating by fall, Philadelphia Daily News

External links

★ American Restroom Association America's advocate for the availability of clean, safe, well designed public restrooms

★ Shutting down vandalism (modern washroom design)

★ The use of glass brick as an industrial architectural aesthetic in underground washrooms/changerooms

★ Australia's National Public Toilet Map shows the location of more than 14,000 public and private public toilet facilities across Australia.

★ Public Toilets Database Locations of public toilets in 18 countries. New locations and comments can be added. Detailed information includes the geographic coordinates and quality of the facility.

★ ToiletZone French website with toilets picture

★ The Paradox of Public Toilets