A better bathroom experience
Despite being a frequently used and fundamentally important area, many view it solely as a functional space, neglecting its potential for comfort and aesthetics. But if you plan it right, you can transform your washroom from a basic space to one that prioritises comfort, style, and luxury
While we readily invest in the living room, the heart of a home, or the kitchen, the culinary centre, one essential space often gets overlooked: the bathroom. Despite being a frequently used and fundamentally important area, many view it solely as a functional space, neglecting its potential for comfort and aesthetics.
There are many important elements that need to be taken care of while designing a bathroom. Living in a Muslim-dominated country, one of the basics we, as architects, came across while studying was the orientation of the commode.
Mostly while planning, we must keep the orientation of the commode aligned to the north-south direction, given that the west is directed towards the holy Kaaba.
Once this orientation is confirmed, then comes the most important step, which most of us do not know the concept of: the dry zone and the wet zone of a washroom. This is very important to maintain because it is associated with cleanliness and ease of accessibility.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Types of washrooms
There could be multiple washrooms in a house, given its location, proximity, and size.
One of these is a powder room, which is a basic dry washroom, mostly located alongside the living and dining spaces of a house. This washroom, consisting of a washbasin and a commode, can be accessed by guests visiting for a few hours.
Compact and economic washrooms have recently become the norm for Dhaka's urban apartments. As land prices are increasing, the apartment sizes are becoming more compact. With that, the rooms are getting smaller, and so are the washrooms.
Hence the majority of the washrooms are very tight in space to be able to house a proper dry zone and wet zone segregation. These washrooms consist of a washbasin, a commode, and a tap and shower head for bathing. Mostly, to make the most out of the area, the zones are not maintained properly, and the fittings are all over the place.
Luxury washrooms, on the other hand, are mostly designed in apartments with sizes from 4,000 sq ft and above. These washrooms have proper dry zone and wet zone segregation. The smaller scale luxury washrooms consist of a washbasin with a countertop, a commode, and a separate bathing area.
The dry zone consists of the washbasin, where people usually wash their hands or face, and the commode. These two elements have minimal spills of water on the floor, unlike while taking a shower. The floor of this zone is expected to be dry, which is better for regular usage and maintains cleanliness.
On the other hand, the wet zone is solely the shower area; this can be a shower closet, a bathtub or both. This area is mostly used once or twice a day; hence, a physical separation helps to keep the rest of the washroom area dry and fresh. This physical separation can be a glass partition or shower curtains, depending on budget. The wet zone is usually separated by a glass partition.
Bigger luxury washrooms even come with 'his' and 'her' separate basins, at times separate commodes as well. And given the area available, there can be separate bathtubs, shower areas and even jacuzzis. These types of washrooms are mostly adjacent to dressing areas and walk-in closets.
Ambience and lighting
After the basics of the washroom, ambiance and lighting play a big role. Though tastes vary from person to person, using aesthetically pleasing fittings and maintaining proper colour contrast in any washroom can make it stand out.
These days, people have a lot to choose from. The local and imported market of tiles and marbles are very diverse, and people have a lot of options.
If you are looking for a sophisticated look for the washroom, you can go for darker shades for the tiles or marble. If you want a fresh and serene outcome, you can go for the lighter colours. Cooler tones can make you feel refreshed, and warmer tones will make you feel comfortable.
There can be a focus wall that can have a special colour or texture, making it a focal point for the washroom. This wall can be the wall of the washbasin or the parallel wall to the shower closet. These all depend on how the washroom is oriented and which way the entry is.
Light plays a dramatic role in every washroom. A normal flood lighting will be enough for functional purposes. But if you want to set a mood and enhance the ambiance, then there can be different lighting settings.
There can be back lighting from the mirror over the washbasin. A few focus lights can also be used to enhance any feature wall as well. And mood lighting is always appreciated while taking showers as it provides a soothing atmosphere.
Importance of details
While designing a toilet, a few things should be kept in consideration.
Firstly, which age group is the toilet designed for. For elderly people, there should be holding rails and other safety features that will help them use the washroom with ease. If the washroom is designed for specially-abled people, there should be proper clearance for circulation.
Usually, it is preferred to use rustic and rough finished tiles on the floors, especially the shower area, to prevent slipping. And no matter how elegant and aesthetically pleasing a washroom is, the ventilation has to be proper.
Proper ventilation is very important to maintain the air and freshness of a washroom. It is preferred to have natural ventilation and lighting sources. But if that is not possible, then a mechanical ventilation system (using exhaust fans) is a must for every washroom.
The author is the Principal Architect of Parti.studio and Editor of TBS Habitat.
