Page 24 - College Planning & Management, June 2019

21ST-CENTURY RESIDENCE HALL RESTROOMS
At North Residence Hall at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), KWK also created a cluster of private and community bathrooms with card readers on the doors that allow for the bathrooms to be assigned to specific people and changed every year depending on building demographics.
This design trend can be costlier be- cause it requires more square footage and materials than traditional-style residence hall bathrooms. KWK has conducted
focus groups nationwide to gauge student attitudes toward gender-neutral restrooms. The most well-received designs include
a mix of single, private bathrooms and a cluster of private toilets and showers.
One way that universities are accommo- dating students who may feel uncomfortable with gender-neutral restrooms is designat- ing floors within a residence hall as either
a men’s or a women’s floor, which increases the likelihood of only men or women using the restrooms on their assigned floors.
New, More Durable Materials
With the increased privacy of today’s bathrooms comes another consideration— higher durability. The less supervision students have in a space, the more destruc- tion the space must be able to withstand. Residence hall bathroom designers seek
to find the right balance between materi- als, fixtures, and infrastructure, while considering long-term maintenance and performance of spaces that experience heavy traffic and high levels of moisture.
Reducing moisture content in the space quickly is critical for the long-term life expectancy of the residence hall bathroom. Long-term exposure to mois- ture can affect the ceiling and structure of the floors above and below. A good waterproofing system, proper flooring installation, and exhaust are all critical to minimizing moisture damage.
Many new, sustainable materials and products have been developed for restroom use that can better withstand daily use and require less maintenance, including:
• HDPE partitions made of high-density poly- ethylene resin and pigments are a highly durable option for privacy partitions. They are graffiti-, dent-, and impact-resistant, and because they are a homogenous mate- rial their nonporous surface is humid-
ity- and moisture-resistant and doesn’t allow for the growth of microbials. Certain manufacturers also offer options that allow for full privacy or designs that eliminate the partition gap issue around doors.
• Solid surfaces made with acrylic polymer, filler, and pigments comprise a highly durable option for countertops and splashes. Their nonporous homogenous structure means they are impermeable to moisture and are more sanitary by allow- ing integral fixtures; their homogenous color allows for easy repair if scratched.
• Touch-free fixtures have grown to include toilet flush valves, soap dispensers, faucets, paper towel dispensers, and hand dryers, which help combat poor hygiene and cut down on cross-contamination from touching multiple fixtures.
An added bonus is that many manu- facturers have updated their standards to LEED v4. As a result, these fixtures can help the project earn LEED points.
New Trends in Sustainability
Material trends for today’s residence hall restrooms have also evolved. The new LEED v4 sustainable criteria is pushing the
construction finishing materials industry to step up its game to produce more sustain- able and healthy materials, while designers are being challenged to find new, creative ways of utilizing these new materials. Together, the goal to create living, breathing restrooms that are safe for occupants and the environment is being achieved.
When it comes to bathroom sustainabil- ity, the design trends are shifting away from merely specifying energy-efficient prod- ucts and materials to actually influencing student behaviors to be more energy-aware throughout their daily lives. Examples include metering shower water usage
with timers so students get used to taking quicker showers, task and tier lighting with sensors that turn lighting on and off based on activity in the room, LED lighting in all areas, and faucet fixtures with sensors that shut water off when not in use.
Material Transparency and Accountability
Just like a consumer wanting to know where their food is sourced and prepared, LEED v4 is encouraging the use of products that have environmentally, economically, and socially preferable life-cycle impacts. More material manufacturers are provid- ing Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) that outline the life-cycle environ- mental impact of their products, and Health Product Declarations (HPDs) which disclose
24 COLLEGE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / JUNE 2019
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