Back to school: 6 school washroom design features that are sure to impress your students
The school holidays are the perfect opportunity for you to deep clean the school and update any older, rundown facilities that need a little modernising.
So don’t let this opportunity go to waste. If you need some inspiration for stylish, functional school washrooms that are sure to impress students when they return, you’re in the right place.
We’re going to share six school washroom design features you can implement this year just in time for your students to return.
1. Energy-efficient fixtures and fittings
Taps left running, overflowing sinks causing floods and lights left on; unfortunately, school toilets can easily be a waste of resources.
But the good news is this can be avoided with a few small updates. By simply introducing modern technology and clever design features, you can make these spaces more energy efficient.
Larger, wash trough sinks can dramatically reduce the risk of flooding and sensor taps can control water flow and stop taps from being left on unnecessarily. Similarly, automatic lights can save on electricity, turning on and off when they detect (or no longer detect) motion.
Not only is this better for the planet and the school but it also ensures that these spaces are clean and functional for all students.
2. Touch-free technology
It doesn't just end with the taps and lights either, there are some other touch-free features that you can introduce in order to transform your school bathrooms.
If you haven't already, consider adding automatic soap dispensers and hand dryers, sensor toilet flushes and even touch-free locks.
These fixtures can instantly modernise your space but they can also reduce the spread of germs, making your school washrooms more hygienic.
Plus, school washrooms see high foot traffic and reducing touch points throughout can increase durability, helping these spaces to stay clean and modern for much longer.
3. Floor-to-ceiling toilet cubicles
Almost half (46%) of school children have experienced some form of anxiety about using toilet facilities in their school. This is very concerning as this is a basic right and the safety and comfort of every student is paramount.
Your school toilets need to be comfortable and welcoming spaces for all and one of the best ways to ensure this is by installing floor-to-ceiling toilet cubicles.
This gives every student complete privacy and ensures that they are more likely to use the toilets when they need to.
On top of that, this style of toilet cubicle is very stylish and can instantly make your bathrooms look sleek and modern.
4. Vape detectors
Following on from the last suggestion, vape detectors are another excellent way to keep all your students safe.
It is an unfortunate reality that school toilets can be used for anti-social behaviour such as vaping. This is becoming an increasing problem and many traditional smoke detectors don't pick up on the vapour.
Therefore, by introducing new vape detectors, you can keep these spaces safe and clean for every student and put a stop to anti-social behaviour like this.
5. Creative and engaging design features
School facilities should be fun, so consider incorporating vibrant colours or fun patterns into the walls and/or floors.
These could be interesting style features like themed hand dryers, motifs on the toilet doors or colourful solid-grade laminate cubicles that are easy to clean and maintain.
Alternatively. you could design your school bathrooms with a specific theme that matches the school's culture or popular subjects, like science or art. For example, choosing space, nature or travel-themed toilets.
If you’re looking for something really special, you could even display student artwork, positive quotes or murals that make the space feel more inviting and reflective of the student body. This can be particularly popular amongst younger students such as those at primary school.
6. Innovative accessible toilet design
Lastly, it’s so important that you offer accessible toilet designs for students with disabilities. At the very least, these should include wide doorways, grab bars and sinks and toilets that are set to regulation heights.
However, you might also wish to install adaptive new technology like adjustable height sinks and mirrors for students of different abilities.
This can help to modernise the space and make every student feel more comfortable.
Are you ready to update your school bathrooms?
Incorporating even one of these features into your school washrooms will not only make the bathrooms more functional and pleasant but also contribute to a more positive school environment.
Of course, you can introduce more than one of these useful features to design comfortable, welcoming and stylish spaces for your students ahead of their return.