WEEK 10

Plumbing systems

In this week's lesson we begin to build an understanding of what goes into water fixtures and components related to them. We start off by learning about the different categories of water ranging from potable, grey and black water. Potable water being the water that we can directly drink; grey water is used for water fixtures like sinks, washing machines and toilets, and black containing dirty sewage water. There are ways to help purify some of the undesirable water thorough the use of water treatment plants. 

We learn that the concept of implementing interior plumbing is a relatively new concept which gives designers like us the opportunities to make unique spaces. A bathroom is a heavily used room in a structure so it is important we follow specified parameters to ensure our designs are code compliant. Elements of a restroom consist of many different things ranging from sinks, toilets and showers and depending on the needs of the inhabitants. There are many fixture options we can use to also help with the amount of water we use. Items like this are dual-flushing toilets, waterless urinals and automatic faucets. We can also implement features that support accessibility for people who suffer from disabilities. Some of these features consist of vertical and horizontal grab bars, shower seating and lower sinks. It is important for us to take these features into consideration in order to make using the facilities easier on everyone.

In this image we can see the careful consideration taken into designing an accessible shower. The resident would have the opportunity to sit as they shower and have everything they need conveniently near them. They are also aided by the many grab bars to help them in and out of the seat. The low knob and shower hose allow for little restriction to mobility and ease to start the shower also.

If spacing permits, we are also able to design spaces that allow for the wheelchair to roll into the shower. When designing a restroom that is ADA (Americans Disabilities Act) compliant we must take into consideration the size of the space in order to allow for wheelchair accessibility. Not only in a home setting but also in any commercial buildings restrooms. It is our responsibility as designers to come up with an effective concept that takes ideas such as spacing into heavy consideration.

We as designers have many different opportunities to help someone disabled with our designs. That I really appreciate about this specific restroom is the attention to detail the designer had for the individual using this space. For starters the seating had a back support, so when someone is sitting and struggling to hold themselves up straight they can just lean back into the support. Another detail  found interesting is the implementation of call strings. So, if the person using the bathroom were to fall they could call for help by pulling the string. These are some of the considerations we can take as designers to help create an experience with our designs.