Architects Datafile - 11.2019

However, it may not be space that’s

particularly usable, and it does mean tiling

the back wall all the way to the floor –

something that doesn’t have to be factored

in with a solid unit.

In most cases, it also means exposing

the sink waste assembly, but this doesn’t

have to be a bad thing; with the wide

choice of high-gloss chrome units available

today, even this piece of utilitarian

plumbing can be turned into an attractive

design feature.

Attaining sustainability

Less an aesthetic consideration than an

obligation for everyone working in the

built environment, sustainability is perhaps

the most important driver of all for

washroom design.

The washroom is, after all, where the

most water is used and wasted in practically

every business. And with climate change

science pointing to the fact that water

scarcity will be an everyday reality in the

UK by 2040, it falls to washroom designers

and product manufacturers to find ways of

saving water wherever they can.

The good news is that there is a wealth

of products and systems available to help

specifiers achieve that.

Timed push button and electronic sensor

taps that shut off automatically after a set

period; tap aerators that limit average flow

rates to around 1.8 litres per minute;

waterless urinals that cut water

consumption by up to 90 per cent

compared with conventional designs;

vacuum flush or dual flush WCs that use

less water with each flush; and greywater

systems that reuse waste water from

bathing and washing to flush toilets.

Because water scarcity and greenhouse

gas emissions are closely linked, energy

efficiency in the washroom also has a part

to play. Here, designers can opt for a

number of energy-efficient innovations,

including PIR-operated LED lighting and

low energy hot air hand dryers.

Sustainable doesn’t have to mean

utilitarian. With an ever increasing range of

products that satisfy the style choices of their

clients as well as saving water, designers can

go on creating washrooms that add to the

customer experience while preserving vital

resources for generations to come.

Neil Jeffery is group specification manager

at Franke Water Systems

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