Anil Madan, Non-Residential Marketing Manager at Ideal Standard UK, discusses how innovative washroom technologies can help specifiers meet environmental regulations both now and in the future.
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Commercial washrooms need to be built to last, with durable products that can withstand constant usage. They also need to meet evolving standards and legislation, particularly when it comes to sustainability. For architects and designers, this means there is more pressure than ever to create washrooms that are increasingly efficient and eco-friendly, while also keeping the functionality and aesthetics users have come to expect. Innovative technology provides a solution and can help specifiers meet current and future environmental regulations.
Manufacturers have a key role to play in this, listening to the needs of architects and designers, and developing products that meet your requirements. This means working to increase efficiency and reduced water consumption, while still delivering on performance and design. Ideal Standard and Armitage Shanks have more than a century of experience as pioneers in this field, exploring technological and design innovations to provide designers with the products that they want and need.
Innovating for the future
Commercial washrooms are spaces that can experience high footfall. Take the example of stadiums and entertainment venues, which can often see thousands of visits over the course of an event. This means that the sheer number and scale of use is a vital consideration for architects and designers, and can provide a unique challenge for specifiers looking to create more sustainable spaces. Here, even small water-saving measures can create meaningful changes overall.
Innovation is taking place across all elements of a washroom. WCs, for instance, are a great example of how traditional products are consistently being upgraded to be more sustainable. Specifiers will already be familiar with dual-flush WCs, which are now commonplace in washrooms, but cutting-edge flush technology is designed to take things a step further, reducing the amount of water used without losing performance.
AquaBlade from Ideal Standard is designed to give architects and designers confidence that the products they are selecting will deliver a cleaner and quieter flush on low-volume cisterns, while saving on water. Prioritising sustainability doesn’t involve jettisoning the other key qualities – fundamentally, a solution isn’t sustainable if it doesn’t live up to the standards of performance and hygiene that users expect.
Ensuring hygiene
Creating a future-proof commercial washroom is also about understanding how it will be used: the routines that users and staff develop, how different products can help shape these routines to make them healthier and more sustainable. The Intellimix smart tap allows for effective and robust hand hygiene by dispensing a controllable amount of water and soap at different points in the washing cycle. It prompts people to wash their hands for longer, ensuring that efforts to boost hygiene and save water aren’t an uphill struggle against people’s existing habits.
Intellimix can also help increase broader carbon reduction targets in a building, creating savings of up to 80 per cent on soap and 85 per cent on water. This not only brings down bills, but also frees up water supplies for use elsewhere. Eliminating the need for soap dispensers also removes a hiding place for bacteria and makes cleaning easier and faster.
Sphero, Ideal Standard’s latest urinal, works perfectly in high-traffic environments and is equipped with a Smart Hybrid flush system that can achieve savings of more than 50,000L of water per year. Its thin ceramic edges make a visual statement, but also serve a functional purpose, with the rimless shape and deep concave bowl working to minimise splashing for a more hygienic space.
A Singular solution for all
Balancing all the different aspects of a stylish, functional and hygienic commercial washroom can leave designers and specifiers with an almost overwhelming amount to consider and struggling to piece all the solutions together. The Singular philosophy from Ideal Standard gives you the ability to choose from the entire Ideal Standard and Armitage Shanks product portfolio, without needing to compromise. Singular gives specifiers one point of contact, meaning each project can be carefully tailored.
The power of Singular is best tapped in to with the Singular Sector Books, which break down the different possibilities for specific settings. The books are the perfect tool for architects and designers looking for inspiration, as well as a resource to learn about the latest technologies and innovations.
Contact Details
To find out more, please visit the Ideal Standard website.
Source: Architecture Today