Sh*t Matters In Architecture - Why We Must Talk About Toilets

Kevin Hui and Andrew Maynard discussing the most important space in architecture that is often overlooked by architects. Toilets and bathrooms has everything to do with architecture. Shit matters a lot in architecture.
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[@mv80401]

In the US someone did a study that found that clean, inviting bathrooms made a very substantial financial difference for truck stops. Some chains built a reputation for it and people remember and pick them over the competition.

[@Archimarathon]

Makes total sense. I know all the best publicly available toilets to go to in the city for example.

[@guringai]

Agreed, toilets need more design thought than is typical. Natural light, plenty of air flow, a floor that can be easy to clean, a toilet that tends to stay clean, & impervious flooring around urinals especially. There's a great public toilet in a Marrickville park that has most of these features.

[@embel20]

Public Toilets are super important, showers as well - this is what my Thesis Studio is about - public amenity - also potable water access (specifically for marginalized communities)

[@martinwander8295]

When my firm was developing the ice rink for Festival Walk, the rink manager told me of a problem he’s had managing another rink in HongKong. Mainland Chinese are used to squatting. His ice rink toilet seats need to be replaced regularly because skaters don’t remove their skates and squat while standing on the seats.

[@7isthe1uckynumber]

Who saw Bernie in the back? 😂

[@Archimarathon]

Well spotted

[@maynardarchitects]

Lol

[@Nynke_K]

I guess I'll go rewatch this then :)

[@pompei1009]

Love to see more of that random guy appears in your future videos~

[@Archimarathon]

You just love seeing Andrew being assaulted. Haha. I do too.

[@pompei1009]

@@Archimarathon Not gonna lie. I love it~!

[@tristantheron7389]

Keeping interns motivated with this one

[@Archimarathon]

That’s the idea. As Andrew said, designing someone’s throne is an honour.

[@ghoulman51]

There was (not sure if there still is) a urinal at a bar in Salamanca Place in Hobart that was made using one way glass. So you're standing there doing your business and you are looking at people outside drinking and socialising. It was a unique experience that's for sure.

[@Archimarathon]

Interesting. I didn’t know there was one in Hobart. There is/was one outside the Tate Gallery in London around 2003 by Monica Bonvicini. monicabonvicini.net/dont-miss-a-sec-2/

[@arnasagen8077]

I find it really interesting to compare what may be done in public and what is considered private in different cultures. Having grown up overseas I was for example very surprised the first time I walked into a change room in a sports centre to see that showers were not communal in Australia and that women and girls walk into boots to change and shower in private. Obviously stripping down and showering next to strangers isn’t quite the same as taking a communal shit and discussing the price of wheat or whatnot, but it is still interesting how norms are reflected in design.

[@Archimarathon]

I think showers used to be more communal. Not sure. But yeah, like the old toilet blocks in China, they had no doors to the cubicles and they were squat toilets pretty much over a trough. You would be staring at each other across the aisle.

[@arnasagen8077]

I’ve heard that too-that communal showers used to be common. Someone told me it changed after influence from America. Have no idea if that last part is actually true! In regards to the communal toilet they had in China, I guess you get used to anything... Although I do enjoy my time in the private space of the women’s bathroom, which of course always smells like fresh flowers, the toilet paper rolls off a unicorn’s horn and the floor is covered in potpourri 😉

[@Archimarathon]

Hah! I knew it!

[@faisalahmed5033]

Good Humour

[@Blubberbooi]

12:16 those are sick sandals

[@Sp33dYAU]

In Melbourne, the most impressive looking i've seen locally are the Brickworks Shopping Centre public toilets (Burwood) --- your insight and opinion on the design of this building would be worthwhilte an episode, even if its for my own interests haha. Keep up the good work guys!

[@Archimarathon]

Oh thanks for the heads up. I didn’t know of that project by NH Architecture. Will check it out one day.

[@tarunifalconer]

Hurray! An exploration of toilet design - public and private. I often feel badly for cleaners who inherit thoughtless design that makes cleaning near impossible, and physically more demanding than it needs to be. And when is multicultural Australia going to include tiled squat toilets so common in much of the world. These can be so much easier to clean as well, and double up as a bidet.

[@CraigHetheringsting]

hello, i am here to bump up the 'engagement'. Great channel by the way, you guys helped me get through some moments of self doubt this year (regarding my ability to design) This channel really gets me inspired to keep going with my studies

[@Archimarathon]

Great to hear and thanks for your comments

[@angelaballard3929]

Best public use loo with a view in a city context? The upstairs men's loo (of course) in the Normanby Hotel...big window out onto a view of city, trees (and beer garden!) below. Looking up from beer garden people get a view of the top half of men staring intently at the wall in front of them 😅.

[@Archimarathon]

The famous one (though they have “renovated” it, f*cked it up in my opinion) was level 35 toilets at the Sofitel by I.M.Pei

[@angelaballard3929]

Should add that the pub is in Brisbane

[@gabybordino6024]

Welcome back, guys, I like that shit ha-ha. You always find a way to make it funny. I think there are a lot of well designed toilets, but in the end, it has to be extremely functional, so it's a challenge to be creative and, at the same time, accomplish the needs. It´s pretty common to be hired to renovate a house and the most inquired rooms to renovate are kitchens and bathrooms, and you have to put a lot on them to be creative, even more if there´s a low budget available. And speaking about public toilets, I find interesting to debate Shigeru Ban´s Tokyo toilets, I have them on my list for my next course

[@Archimarathon]

Ah yes the transparent toilet blocks. I was going to include them but I couldn’t find a decent snippet of video to include for the last part when we talked about safety. Glad you mentioned them.

[@kudzaishemakweta211]

You never disappoint🙌🏻.. I personally have a different view on ablution design now. Thank you keep it up... and if possible i was going to give a ‘👍🏻’ at a scale of 1:10

[@Archimarathon]

🙏

[@mv80401]

"ablution design" - reminds me of the Monty Python skit "No, no, it's just that we wanted a block of flats, not an abattoir."

[@cmscliff]

That was some real important talk back there 👍💯

[@WelcomeToSteph]

Toilets are super important and often overlooked... and I can confirm that female toilets can get pretty gross as well if you think about the other 'tasks' we have to undertake at certain times of the month...

[@Archimarathon]

With flowers and unicorns.

[@WelcomeToSteph]

@@Archimarathon naturally

[@theiagaia5322]

The toilets in the prince public bar in St Kilda. Interesting experience. Don't look it up just go and see for yourself.

[@Archimarathon]

Haven’t been for a long time, long before the refurb. Has it changed much?

[@LJLancaster]

hahaha, completley did not see bernie. As for loos, I have always commented on them and now its standard conversation for my wife and I. She's just shy of 5 foot and her feet dangle while sitting so there is so many comments on the height of toilets. She is constantly saying there need to be short person loos. The worst offender was near the Abbey of St Gall. This was a number of years ago so hopefully memory serves, but it was a cylindrical steel toilet with and interesting curved door that retraced back in (curved cavity style) but base of the loo was essentially a large funnel into the trap in the middle of the floor. The seat was on a spring mechanism (auditorium style) that had to be pulled down from the wall. For her little legs it was near on impossible to climb over the _funnel_ and up onto this seat. The way she dicribed it was the funniest and the most memorable part of the day.

[@Archimarathon]

Thanks for the story. Yes I believe there should be shorter urinals, toilets and sinks for shorter people and kids in all public toilets. Maybe there is a place for Asian squat toilets as height does not matter? 🤔

[@benjaminedwards7456]

Was that a hint of some archi marathon merch!?

[@Archimarathon]

Maybe in the future.

[@yikyangvoon]

Love the public toilets along the Torquay beach, not particularly outstanding, but each of them is designed differently using vernacular architectural language. and found this gem along the shore: Third Wave Kiosk by Tony Hobba Architects

[@Archimarathon]

www.archdaily.com/338211/third-wave-kiosk-tony-hobba-architects

[@angelaballard3929]

Dudes (including those grad architects given the design task), you need a series on this topic. Consider: * the mathematics of queueing in light of female/male actions/time required to actually take a piss. (Connect the dots for yourselves!) * The ratio of cubicles to urinal stations * The placement of urinals in shared all genders toilets (down the back of the room please...think about it. I've long paid attention to lived/user experience as a design/planning approach...makes me wonder what's not taught in architecture/design school when crapola still emerging in something as basic to human function as the loo.

[@Archimarathon]

Interesting that in France, maybe it’s cultural, some toilets have the “pissoir” urinal proudly first before going into separate male and female toilet cubicles. It’s strange to be pissing and with everyone, both male and female, walking past you.

[@angelaballard3929]

@@Archimarathon more simply a privileging of male needs and a disregard of others so yes its cultural...the world over!. Open urinals were/are everywhere in Delhi... finding a public female loo was an extreme challenge that required restaurant dining!

[@tstanley1580]

The toilets (well the female ones) at Pacific Place in Hong Kong are amazing. Cafe Grey (now closed) at the Upper House Hotel was worth it just for the views from the toilets. And can you talk baths - I once lived in an apartment with amazing views from the bath - the tap meant you had to face the wall not the view 🤦🏻‍♀️

[@Archimarathon]

Speaking of HK, I did like the Philippe Starck bar toilets at Peninsula Hotel in HK

[@Nynke_K]

I LOVE good toilets. I guess I've been blessed with a lot of them here in Europe because the one in the Mercedes Benz museum didn't look that special to me! I have been known to take pictures of especially nice (beautiful and functional) sink setups, though. Having said that, I'm an average sized adult so everything works for me, and I have definitely seen kids struggle to reach soap dispensers and tap sensors. Far more places should have lower sinks and toilets, for sure. About urinals: I'm not even sure how I've seen so many in my life as a woman, but I've only seen the floor length ones in Japan and was immediately worried about splatter. Is that not a worry? And I'm completely mystified by the steel lattice ones!

[@Archimarathon]

With urinals the key is to hit it in an angle 😉. I remember in Den Haag I stayed at a place where they have the print of a fly on the urinal bowl. The idea is that we usually wage war on any insects and it is also meant as the ideal spot to aim when peeing. Clever. The stainless steel grate you are meant to stand on so the drips also ends up in the urinal and not the floor. You see the more the floor is wet with pee the further others will stand away from the bowl hence more drips.

[@tacotacoart4198]

2:04 the old man from tenet

[@Archimarathon]

Haven’t seen Tenet yet but yeah, we got all “walks” of life.

[@sparkl3dust17]

100% agree about the importance of designing everyday spaces well. Love this discussion! Another great toilet example is this bathroom by SUBACO (Japanese): kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWW5pYJpett2rq8 where they created interesting lighting and shelving behind the toilet. Makes me also think about the book In Praise of Shadows where the author describes very specific atmospheric requirements for bathroom design to assist the "contemplation" -- the toilet area has to be dark to "conceal" whereas the area to wash hands can have light.

[@acps1057]

Terminal 3, concourse B in Changi airport I think--- it is a mens urinal with a view of the runway fantastic !!!!

[@Archimarathon]

Loo before you flew. #dadjoke

[@matemarkezic]

I made a TikTok account few days back just so I can follow sink reviews :D

[@Archimarathon]

It’s a pretty cool account isn’t it?

[@bendigosustainabilitygroup227]

howard-place Award winning toilets in Bendigo !

[@Archimarathon]

Also on the way to Bendigo could check out Jock Comini Reserve Amenities by Kerstin Thompson Architects.

[@smiauu]

From architectural point of view, should we have more japanese style hole in the ground type of shitters around the world?

[@RB-zm4fk]

Lol My daughter LOVES going to toilets wherever we go, she has no idea why she has a fascination but I always thought it was funny! Some restaurants have nice loos Actually some female public toilets have kid friendly loos and wash basins, really cute. And I love Japanese toilets ... you can get so 'creative' 🤭

[@Archimarathon]

I dread taking my son to Chinese restaurant toilets, they are more often than not grotty.

[@RB-zm4fk]

@@Archimarathon very true 🤣

[@budgybottom75]

7:15 perhaps they have had an online gaming experience with you at one point Maynard :P :) :)

[@Archimarathon]

Yeah that would explain a lot.

[@rev_dude]

Hi Bernie 0:00

[@smiauu]

Also from architectural point of view: should and how should public toilets offer amenities for heroin users?

[@laurencvetko6061]

I feel less weird about having a photo collection of toilets I’ve visited 😂

[@Archimarathon]

We want to do a series of toilets. Never got around to it yet

[@laurencvetko6061]

@@Archimarathon please do it!!!

[@ian-cq9nx]

Thanks for making such fun but informative videos, I cannot stand the amount of snoochery and pretentiousness surrounding architecture and your videos and attitude is a refreshing break from that. On that note 'arrogance and ego in architecture' would be a fun video topic.

[@Archimarathon]

Thanks for your compliments. True, ego and arrogance is an issue and we bring that up a bit already in our videos, all with the aim of moving forward.

[@craigmillman3421]

Was that guy for real?

[@Archimarathon]

It’s Fitzroy.

[@AlexPrevost]

I never thought I'd follow an Instagram account that focused solely on public toilets, but here we are. IG: @toilets_a_go_go

[@Archimarathon]

Yes it’s a strange world we live in.

[@danielwong9608]

What a load of crap...you guys really talk allotta sh!t... however I must admit this episode was flush with great insight as always. I suppose the toilet is a good subject to focus on in loo of other content. I give this episode a rating 4 wipes (out of 5). Glad we could have this conversation and put the seat down on this topic once and for all. Maybe as a follow up you can discuss fold or scrunch? Stay hydrated.

[@Archimarathon]

Dan I am drowning in your puns

[@danielwong9608]

@@Archimarathon drowning in puns? Here... stand on this stool! 🤣🤣

[@Archimarathon]

Thanks Dwong. You saved me.

[@miriamwallace5530]

Thanks guys I was eating breakfast! But ha yes the quality of the toilets let you know how much care has been really taken in the design. The toilets at the Opera house 🤌🤌 the toilets at nga before the extension 🤌🤌🤌