Look at the amount of work involved in designing a park that is public. Landscape architects research pedestrian circulation, accessibility drainage and vegetation, parking, lighting, the layout of playgrounds, and how various groups will use the park. The most frequently constructed structures can be treated like a standard extension.

A restroom deserves more consideration. The bathroom must meet sanitation or plumbing requirements. It must also conform to accessibility standards, security concerns and maintenance demands, as well as be in compliance with building codes. It is also required to withstand extreme weather conditions and endure years of public use.

Image credit: romtec.com

Romtec’s approach makes restroom design a key part of the larger plans for the site, not just as a last-minute thought.

Prefabricated Buildings Do Not Have to Be Identical

Park restrooms that are prefabricated can be an insufficient range of typical designs. Kit-based methods can produce various outcomes.

Romtec creates custom designs, and also provides plans specifications, engineering documents as well as building materials for their construction. Landscape architects are able to select the styles and materials that are best suited to their project, while Romtec provides expertise in codes, ADA requirements and pricing.

For instance, a city that is renovating an historic park might have a different view of the exterior than a recreation department building an entirely new sports facility. Both could benefit from a common building supply system, but not necessarily have the same design.

City Streets are a New Design Concept

In urban areas, restrooms are subject to the specific operational requirements of their respective areas. The restrooms may have constant pedestrian traffic. There are also issues concerning vandalism, security, and sanitation.

Romtec’s sidewalk restrooms incorporate visibility into their exterior designs to allow natural security but still ensuring the function for a public building. The choice of low maintenance components and materials that resist vandalism is particularly important because public authorities are typically repeatedly repairing their facilities.

The objective of building a bathroom isn’t to just make it stronger. The materials, layout and design of the bathroom should all work in harmony to simplify the process to manage.

Sometime the most important problem is hidden

Planners first need to determine the facilities available before deciding how a bathroom will look.

In a well-developed city park, water, electricity and sanitary sewers are easily connected. When you connect these lines to a remote trailhead or campground, it could be an expensive expense.

For suitable locations, vault toilets provide a waterless alternative. Romtec has components to these toilets including a one-piece polyethylene toilet riser. The smooth molded material is chemical-resistant and is easy to clean and designed to discourage bacterial growth. It can be used in new or existing vault restroom facilities.

Design for those arriving after Closing Time

Visitors only experience the bathroom for a brief duration. Maintenance personnel must deal with the layout of a restroom for many years.

It is the difference in perspective that is important. Materials that are difficult to clean, components that easily damage, and materials that aren’t suitable for frequent cleaning can see small design decisions turn into ongoing costs.

Serviceability and durability therefore should be included in early design discussions alongside design and construction costs. Energy efficiency, sustainability vandal-resistant fixtures and maintenance that are easy to perform can be a factor in the long-term value of a building.

A Smaller Building Still be a part of the landscape

The bathroom design doesn’t have to be as stunning as the park surrounding it. However, it shouldn’t appear as if it was a blunder.

Romtec’s customized approach allows designers and public agencies to integrate restrooms into other architectural elements, such as pavilions, shelters and pools. However practical considerations such as ADA accessibility, code compliance, sanitation durability, as well as maintenance remain central to the project.

If those concerns are taken care of in conjunction, the outcome isn’t just a place to install toilets. It’s a public infrastructure piece specifically designed for a specific locality and surrounding.