Two Hamilton-based architects have won a global competition with a sustainable and accessible design that reimagines Toronto’s public washrooms.
Earlier this year, local advocacy group Toronto Public Space Committee (TPSC) launched a competition open to architects all over the world for the design of new accessible public washrooms that could be open in the city year-round.
TO the Loo! The Toronto Toilet Design Challenge’s select jury reviewed dozens of submissions from all over the world. The jury specifically looked for concepts that could integrate accessibility, cultural inclusion, spatial justice and sustainability into one project, reimagining what public bathrooms in the city would look like.
The winning prize went to an affordable and sustainable project designed by Alea Reid and Petra Matar, two architects at Hamilton’s Design Partners in Architecture and Interiors (DPAI).
The architects tell Now Toronto that their project, named Mycomorph, features pre-made circular pods made of concrete, which work as self-contained units united by a canopy structure that channels daylight and collects rainwater.
Hoping to challenge the idea that public washrooms are dirty and difficult to use, Reid and Matar also designed pods to be durable and easy to clean and maintain, with water-repellent, anti-graffiti finishes on their interior surfaces, allowing for complete hose-down cleaning. Its floors also come with integrated drains, which make it easier to clean with minimum intervention from staff.
“Big things that come up when somebody is using a public washroom. First and foremost, people think it’s gross,” Matar told Now Toronto on Tuesday. “So, how can we design something that is easily cleanable, that when you walk in, it’s filled with light, and something that feels safe, and also something that anyone with different abilities is able to use? So, that was our starting point.”
The project is also deeply grounded in sustainability, with rooftops that support natural hydrology and reduce the heat effect that is common in urban regions, as well as a structure that allows for rainwater collection and re-use.
“We’re thinking about how these pods really impact the sustainability of the site. So, we added green roofs to maintain the natural hydrology, as well as biodiverse panels. So, it reacts to the change of the seasons, where moss can really flourish in the summer and then recede in the winter. So, it’s very responsive to the seasons,” Reid said.
“We’ve got insulation in the washroom, which means it can be used in the winter. Triple-glazed windows. We have a green roof. All of these help control the temperature within the washroom,” Matar added.
The architects say the design also makes it possible for other features to be added over time in order to keep the project affordable, such as solar panels.
Another focus point for the project was designing a space that would be accessible to all, with amenities like braille and pictogram signage, child changing tables, caregiver-friendly layouts, barrier-free paths, and even a drinking fountain for people and dogs.
The architects behind the project explained that they attempted to design something that would make people feel safe, with well-lit facilities, and non-gendered stalls equipped with emergency call strips and naloxone access.
“A lot of people don’t realize the privilege that comes along with being able to have your own bathroom and have a bathroom that you feel safe in,” Reid said.
“It’s really a space for so many different types of people in our community, not just the unhoused community, but also it may be parts of community members that could feel unsafe using parks or washroom facilities late at night or [when] they’re alone.”
Besides a design for independent pods to be distributed in different parts of the city, the competition also asked for a multi-use hub, specifically designed for the Dufferin King Parkette, which followed a similar circular pods aesthetic.
Reid and Matar’s project is currently being displayed at a TPSC exhibition along with the competition’s two runner-ups at 401 Richmond St. The exhibition is free of cost and available until Aug. 30 for the public.
A spokesperson from the advocacy group told Now Toronto that the competition was organized independently from the city, aiming to encourage the municipality to rethink its washroom facilities and put forward some ideas, but nothing is being built or considered by the city.
The City of Toronto told Now Toronto that its City Council adopted a motion earlier this year to work with the TPSC after the winners of the challenge were announced. It is still unclear whether there are any updates on the motion.
