Our bathroom design includes 10 toilets per building and 5 showers, with sinks lining one exterior side (lengthwise) of the building. Each block would feature two of the bathroom units. (400 people =>20 toilets @ 20 people per toilet). One unit would be for women and the other for men, with sinks usable to all...
(Bathroom measures 16' x 26.5' with sinks.
The tilted roof measures 23' x 29' with 1' overhangs on both sides, 5' overhang over sinks, and 3.5' overhang over bathroom and shower entry wall.
Height: is 8' on low end and 9' 4" on high end with openings.
Sinks: 3' high.)
Hi. I have some comments I would like to share with you, and some ideas that may help you.
ReplyDeletePOSITIVE ASPECTS
Dividing toilet facilities for men and women / children - sense of security
Open, public area in the middle of the block - common space for community, seismic safe zone, helps with scale and ventilation
Thinking about composting in toilet facilities - reuse byproducts, helps to be off the grid
ASPECTS TO IMPROVE OR CONSIDER
Location of trees - these should serve a purpose, i.e. shadows, wind channeling... place more trees on open, public areas instead of right beside buildings.
Placing toilet facilities in the middle of block - odours, hygiene, practicality - place them in a more discrete location, while still focusing on security issues (i.e. lighting at night, accesible)
Placing “parking” spaces in the middle of block - better put them between road and buildings (helps separate housing from road)
Water treatment is as important as solid waste treatment - think about rainwater recollection in roofs, gray-water from showers and sinks (filtering process and reuse for flushing toilets). Consider general landscaping techniques to deal with heavy rainwater and flooding, maybe even collect this water for crop irrigation later on?
Residential lots are too close together to consider opening windows and doors between them - either redesign houses or redesign residential lots to give more space for ventilation and circulation. If houses are connected, walls are shared and material is economized, but sound- proofing and decrease in ventilation will be an issue.
Think about arable land and agriculture as a generative force on urban planning in the block level, as well as in the macro level.
Think about harvesting solar energy, but on a block scale rather than individually. Itʼs more efficient this way.
Feel free to discuss or question any points I have stated, the idea is to start a discussion, to get everyone thinking :) Please comment and share your thoughts.
Cheers,
Melissa
Constructive critique...
ReplyDeleteOk they have increase the number of toilets per group but the only interesting idea of the open space next to it for socialization its in front of the parking area? Well... Actually the latest plan of these services were really pour.
Latest bathrooms plan:
Narrow corridor and dark spaces, this is a problem specially in a broken society with violence and rape problems. Also the lack of space and the death end corridors will end in problems of cleanliness and therefore in the generation of diseases.
The main recommendation is to start all over again rethinking the utility of the bathrooms.
Is preferable to have on single open space with the same number or maybe less number of toilets but that will be safer, cleaner and much better ventilated; should be important aswell to think in the entrance of each block of toilets and showers, because this will be critical to ensure the saftyness and the actual used of the toilets. Always remember that if people dont feel secure and comfortable they will find a way to avoid using the services, as if the sink are to fare from the toilets they will just not wash their hands!
Is empirical to revise the location of the moduls in each block because they might become just public toilets for the any pasant person.
Miguel.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteJust responding, where I can, given the limited knowledge I have, to a few of the comments:
- Car Placement:
- There are very very few cars right now, I think 10/capita
- There might be more in the future
- If they are in the center, the space can be appropriated for gardens, cloths drying ...
- In the most successful dense areas in Haiti, the streets and street edges are used by pedestrians and porch businesses, not parked cars.