Restrooms

When working with clients on designing their new facilities, building additions and/or interior renovation projects one topic always seems to come up: Restrooms. The questions about restrooms range from; How many do I need? Can they be unisex? Where should they be located? And the biggie; Do all of them need to be Handicapped Accessible?

A while back, we were working with a client on a renovation and addition to his office building. There was only one existing unisex restroom in the building, and it was very small. In fact, as my grandfather used to say “It was so small, you’d have to step outside to change your mind!” During the planning process, we told him that due to the specific conditions of his building, the building code would not require him to change, enlarge or relocate his restroom. That was good news to him.

The most frequently asked questions we get about restrooms seem to be about required handicapped accessibility. They include…

• Do all restrooms need to be handicapped accessible?

• Do I need to upgrade my existing restrooms to meet today’s ADA requirements?

• Why do the accessible restrooms need to be so big!

The answers to each of these questions are not always the same, as they are based on the specific conditions of the building. Give us a call and we will be glad to answer your restroom questions.

One last final thought: It is true that all restrooms must comply with the current building codes, but remember those requirements are the minimum and what your final restroom layout looks like in your facility must support your business. That is a successful design!