DESIGNING FOR INCLUSIVITY STRATEGIES FOR UNIVERSAL WASHROOMS AND CHANGE ROOMS IN COMMUNITY SPORT AND RECREATION FACILITIES Author Photos
Darryl Condon, Managing Principal, HCMA Architecture + Design HCMA Architecture + Design, Ema Peter, Nic Lehoux
What does washroom and change room design have to do with social justice? A great deal. As architects, we must consider the social impact resulting from all aspects of our work. Universal washrooms and change rooms are increasingly crucial in the design of recreation and sport facilities and are one element in our approach to more impactful design. The design norms for public washroom facilities are surprisingly diverse around the world. Social norms, cultural values, and historical happenstance have all had a hand in shaping the manner in which common sanitary facilities are provided in various contexts. Furthermore, for much of the past hundred years the design norms within a country or region have, while allowing for technological and material advancement, remained relatively static from a standpoint of design logic. More recently, we have observed (and responded to) an evolution and divergence away from static facility design. This has been in response to rapidly changing expectations and increasing recognition of diversity within communities. This article will focus on one particular aspect of this change: an evolution from the traditional gender specific, and separated, approach to washroom design to a more integrated, universal and socially inclusive model. The many reasons for this change are in itself quite diverse. Diversity is becoming more greatly acknowledged and accepted, be it related to culture, sex, gender or difference in abilities. Furthermore, new demographic contexts force us to reflect on our approaches to diversity 46
– for example, consider the changing needs of an ageing population where caregivers and elderly individuals of different genders will increasingly require accessible places. In response, our facilities are becoming increasingly supportive of a broader range of multifunctional, leisure, and age-inclusive uses. Global mobility, in its various forms, has led to the need to provide facilities that respond to a wider range of expectations around comfort, privacy and acoustic separation. In some countries, such as Canada, a combination of an increasing commitment to inclusivity and human rights legislation has led to a need to reconsider our facilities with a more complex understanding of gender diversity. There is also an increasing awareness that many people feel uncomfortable and unsafe using traditional gender- designated washrooms and change rooms. Gender-designated washrooms and change rooms often lack privacy and accessibility for many users, including those who have personal health requirements or mobility challenges, those who are transgender or transitioning, and those who may require assistance from someone of a different gender – including children and the elderly. sb 6/2018