Page 29 - College Planning & Management, April 2018

Facilities CAMPUS SPACES
New Design Strategies for a Reputable Restroom
How today’s restroom design trends improve cleanliness and operational efficiency while attracting students.
BY KRIS ALDERSON
WHAT ARE YOUR cam- pus’ restrooms commu- nicating to your students,
educators, and visitors?
You’ve heard it before: The condition of
a restroom shapes a user’s overall image of a facility or establishment. The better the restroom experience, the more posi- tively a stakeholder sees the facility on the whole—and vice versa.
Colleges and universities are undoubtedly impacted by this restroom reputation phe- nomenon. In a 2015 survey by Cascades Tis- sue Group, 65 percent of respondents said that
restrooms influenced their impression of the school they attended and 60 percent would recommend that prospective students check out a school’s restrooms before enrolling.
Another national study of public restroom perceptions revealed that college-aged Americans are significantly influenced by restroom conditions—even more than older age groups. Of respon- dents, 75 percent aged 18-34 say they’ve patronized certain businesses because they have cleaner restrooms, according to the 2018 Healthy Hand Washing Survey (www. bradleycorp.com/handwashing). Of all
American adults, 60 percent say they make a conscious decision to choose businesses based on restroom appearances.
In contrast, if a restroom is unpleasant, more than half of Millennials automati- cally think that the establishment is lazy or sloppy.
Clearly, stepping up restroom maintenance is essential for ensuring student, staff, and visitor satisfaction. Priorities should include regular cleaning, sanitization, and stocking; picking up debris and emptying trash cans; keeping floors, countertops, and toilet areas clean and dry; and using air fresheners.
APRIL 2018 / COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT 29
PHOTOS COURTESY OF BRADLEY CORPORATION