Bathroom Products

The Universal Bathroom:

The Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access, with the support of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, US Department of the Education, has developed two adjustable bathrooms called the Movable Fixtures Bathroom and Movable Panels Bathroom. These bathrooms, which are designed by Abir Mullick, Drew Kelley and Edward Steinfeld, are based on the premise that bathroom use must prolong independence, allow the offering of care, and assist care-providers. Unlike current bathrooms, which are designed primarily for independent users, these bathrooms consider the needs of the human life cycle and address dependent use and care providing alongside independent use in the bathroom.

In these bathrooms two fixtures, the sink and shower, move around the bathroom wall and adjust for use conditions. Through fixture movement, the bathrooms reorganize and open up spaces for independent and dependent use to suit body sizes and preferences and for care providing situations. The fixtures also adjust in height to accommodate variations in stature including standing users, sitting users and children in relation to user needs, capabilities, and the demands of the environment. Fixture movement is a result of technological innovation in existing plumbing and drain technology used unconventionally.

Both the Movable Fixtures and Movable Panels Bathrooms let bathrooms adapt to people and not the other way around so there is a best "fit" between users and their environment. They are excellent examples of how the universal design philosophy can create flexible environment and produce innovative designs that are high in usability, convenience, aesthetics, surprise, and fun. They allow fixtures and spaces to adapt, provide highest degree of design flexibility, allow user personalization, and offer multi-purpose use of features to minimize stigma associated with user-specific products. They are also designed to be attractive.

The Movable Fixtures and Movable Panels Bathrooms are made of three units: the lavatory unit, toilet unit, shower unit, and the support unit. These units can be used independently or in combination with each other and they can be used in place of existing fixtures or in new construction. In both cases, they offer superior consumer benefit while reducing total installation costs and space requirements.

Two working bathrooms prototypes have been fabricated and they have running water, drain, and electricity. These prototypes have been constructed to fit the smallest size everyday bathroom of 5ft by 8ft to assess their benefits. The lavatory unit has a sink, work surface, storage, lighting, and mirrors. The sink is fitted with hot and cold water, drain and electricity. The countertop has pull-out shelves and can be extended to increase the work surface when needed. It has built-in lights for additional illumination and has wrap-around grab bars for support and storage. Specially designed hooks can be mounted on the support bars to store daily-use accessories. There are two tilting mirrors for improved viewing conditions.

In addition, the lavatory unit is height-adjustable. Its height adjustment is achieved manually or by using a motorized unit. This adjustment accommodates a range of users including standing and seated users, as well as, children and tall persons. During use, it can be locked securely in position to limit unwanted movement. The sink has knee clearance for wheelchair users and the clear space underneath for wheelchair turning. The toilet unit, which uses conventional water and drain technology, is wall mounted, and it consists of a multi-layer seat and a flusher. The toilet height adjusts to facilitate use by a range of users, such as small children, able-bodied adults, tall persons, elderly people, and people with disabilities. The multi-layer seats, as shown in Figure 10, can be stacked to achieve variety of seat heights. In the raised position, the toilet offers easy transfer by wheelchair users and older people, and the lower positions is convenient for children and short stature people. The wall-mounted installation allows easy floor cleaning and maintenance, and the clear space underneath helps to make wheelchair turns. The flusher, which is large size,is wall mounted and located close to the user, is designed for easy detection, access, and operation. The toilet can be fitted for low water technology and include optional features such as bidet wand with dryer, automatic self-cleaning, and sanitizing.

The shower unit shown consists of three basic components, the shower column, drainage floor, and the shower door. Together they provide the optimal bathing environment. It has optional features such as resilient floor tiles, transfer chair, shower seat, and emergency communication system. The shower column, which serves as the water source, is fitted with hot and cold water and water control. It has built-in lights for additional lighting, and wrap-around grab bars for support and storage. Specially designed hooks can be mounted on these bars to hold daily-use accessories. The shower is height-adjustable. Height adjustment is achieved manually or by using a motorized unit. The shower door is a lightweight-telescoping screen stored inside and it can be extended out to make the shower enclosure. When not in use, the screen stores flat against the wall in a locked position. The drainage floor consists of specially designed tiles that are gently tapered to drain water along their edges into a trough underneath. The tiles drain water quickly and keep the floor dry to prevent slip and fall that happens from wet slippery floors. The entire bathroom floor could be made up of the drainage floor. This will allow the bathroom to be hosed down for easy cleaning and maintenance.

The support unit is an architectural solution, which consists of a multi-purpose grab bar system that can be used as structure, support, and storage. The grab bar system supports the lavatory and shower units. In addition, it has been designed to be attractive to eliminate stigma associated with grab bars. It allows the storage of everyday accessories and the mounting of specially designed accessories such as a fold-down grab bar.

The Movable Fixture Bathroom

This concept is based on the premise that the bathroom needs to be regularly adjusted to meet the changing demands of a variety of users living in the home. Furthermore, the technology must allow instantaneous and easy movement of fixtures to create larger spaces for bathroom activities based on user preference, as well as independent and dependent use.

In this bathroom, the sink and shower roll along the bathroom wall to create larger toilet, grooming, and showering areas. Fixture movement, in principle, instantly creates three "large" bathrooms in one small space and opens up the bathroom for easy operation during dependent and independent use. Fixture movement instantly reconfigures the bathroom for simultaneous use by couples, easy use by large persons, and space for caregivers to assist children and dependent adults. The sink and shower units, which rest and roll on the wall-mounted bars, also adjust in height for stature variations and usage. When not in use, the fixtures lock securely in place to prevent unplanned movement.

Plumbing, drain, and electricity are supplied through a flexible assembly and these services are designed support fixture movement. The shower area consists of a fast draining shower floor and a telescoping shower screen that moves with the shower to provide various size enclosures. The screen stores flat against the bathroom wall when not in use.

Overall view of the bathroom

The Adjustable Sink

The Movable Panels

The bathroom designs provide an opportunity for manufacturers to address needs of users including children, adults, older people, people with disabilities and the aging the baby boomer generation. They will provide a competitive advantage and an increase in market share. The modular nature of the designs which allow continued service and production of replacement parts will eliminate the need to manufacture many types of bathroom technologies. Thus, preventing over production and reducing waste associated with manufacture use and disposal.

The bathrooms have been designed for ease of operation, maintenance, repair and recycling. In case of fixture breakdown, they can be easily removed and replaced while the old unit is sent in for repair. This will prolong their use cycle and reduce waste. The Movable Panels design is amenable to an innovative marketing approach such as leasing panels. This will greatly increase the use cycle of fixture panels and fascia wall, and minimize disposal associated with planned obsolescence.

These bathrooms reflect the social and inclusive philosophy of universal design. They have the potential to unify diverse population groups so no one-user group is excluded by their design. Existing bathrooms with permanently installed fixtures symbolize one-bathroom design-for-all users because they tend to homogenize through uniformity. These bathrooms, on the other hand, encourage individualization through flexibility and choice so users can adapt their bathrooms to suit their personal taste and preferences.

click to view video

The bathroom designs provide an opportunity for manufacturers to address needs of users including children, adults, older people, people with disabilities and the aging the baby boomer generation. They will provide a competitive advantage and an increase in market share. The modular nature of the designs, which allow continued service and production of replacement parts, will eliminate the need to manufacture many types of bathroom technologies, preventing over production and reducing waste associated with manufacture, use and disposal. The bathrooms have been designed for ease of operation, maintenance, repair and recycling. In case of fixture breakdown, they can be easily removed and replaced, while the old unit is sent in for repair. This will prolong their use cycle and reduce waste. The Movable Panels design is amenable to an innovative marketing approach such as leasing panels. This will greatly increase use cycle of fixture panels and fascia wall, and minimize disposal associated with planned obsolescence. These bathrooms reflect the social and inclusive philosophy of universal design. They have the potential to unify diverse population groups so no one-user group is excluded by their design. Existing bathrooms, with permanently installed fixtures, symbolize one-bathroom design-for-all users. They tend to homogenize through uniformity. These bathrooms, on the other hand, encourage individualization through flexibility and choice, so users can adapt their bathrooms to suite their personal taste and preferences.

For more information, contact:

Attn: Edward Steinfeld
Center for Inclusive Design & Environmental Access
School of Architecture and Planning - University at Buffalo
378 Hayes Hall
Buffalo, NY 14214-3087

E-mail: arced@buffalo.edu

Phone: 716-829-3485 ext. 327

Bathroom Products | Bright Ideas | Idea Home