Does the design of the office restroom really matter?

A business revolves around many factors. More often than not, these things are actions and behaviours. There are things though that affect the business that have nothing to do with the business. One such example is the office restroom. In an office building, it’s necessary to have a place for personal hygiene activities. Maybe you don’t run a business that involves clients or customers entering your facility, yet that doesn’t mean that the cleanliness or the design of the room doesn’t matter. Individuals will describe their experience at your establishment and they won’t refrain from mentioning unpleasant details.

What about the employees? More and more work environments are designed so as to be useful and practical, as opposed to simply attractive. The good news is that you don’t have to take out aesthetics out of the equation. Office workers visit the bathroom several times a day. Going to the restroom is just as necessary as eating. It’s important to impress the occupants of the building with thoughtful design and to ensure a high-performance workplace.

Looking at the importance of office restroom design

Companies are willing to go at great lengths to keep workers happy. An attractive restroom won’t only keep employees happy and productive, but also make a good impression on visitors. The office restroom needs to be renovated every 10 to 15 years. Big companies maintain a schedule and they don’t use the same design. What about you? What have you been doing lately? Your facility’s restroom tells the story of your business. In other words, it manages to connect with people and let them know how the building is being administered. Whether you like it or not, the bathroom is an extension of your enterprise’s image. If the office restroom isn’t properly maintained or, worse, if it’s out of style, you have a problem.

It’s in the best interest of your business to maintain good relationships with everyone from visitors to employees and managers. An organization that makes available a bathroom that is neatly designed and that has all the necessary features will be more appreciated than one that doesn’t. The state of the office restroom indicates just how much the business esteems the workplace. Taking into consideration that the marketplace of today is highly competitive, you can’t afford to not design and manage the bathroom from the point of view of the user. It’s vital to place emphasis on the commercial bathroom, especially if you have a class A office space.

Aspects to consider when designing an office restroom

Designing an office restroom involves more than looking into wall panels for bathrooms. As far as this room is concerned, it involves numerous moving parts, all of which should be taken into consideration. The most significant aspects that you shouldn’t neglect are the number of occupants, sturdiness, cost, and the quality of the fixtures. Let’s discuss a little bit about them.

1. Number of building occupants

You’re the proud owner of the commercial facility, which means that you can do just about anything you want. There are architectural planning and health code standards preventing you from exaggerating. The rules and regulations say that there should be at least one toilet for 1-15 building occupants. If you have more employees than that, then you have no choice but to increase the number of toilets. The office restroom should be big enough to accommodate all occupants and eliminate queuing. Once you understand how many occupants are in the building, you’ll be able to figure out how large you should make the restroom and how many toilets or urinals to include.

2. Sturdiness

All too often, businesses fail to design commercial bathrooms that are durable. A durable bathroom is one that is capable of withstanding the test of time. Natural stone is a good choice because it doesn’t present moisture issues, not to mention that it’s attractive. You don’t want a wooden vanity mirror in the office restroom. It’s true that it provides a certain degree of durability, yet wood is prone to water damage from leaking pipes or scratches. It’s best to opt for strong materials. Special attention needs to be paid to the bathroom wall panels. They will look as new as they day you bought them and they are relatively easy to install. Bathroom wall panels are highly durable, meaning that they have a long lifespan. There is no reason to invest in tiles when you have a cost-effective option. Any improvements that you make should be durable.

3. Cost

This may sound silly, but the restroom is an important part of everyone’s day. Designing a space like the bathroom isn’t too expensive. However, it doesn’t cost next to anything. Cost is an important factor to take into account. There is no better time like the present to calculate costs, so what are you waiting for? Determine what equipment and materials will go into the office restroom and, most importantly, how much it is going to cost. When you have a good understanding of what the project will cost you, you’ll be able to make the necessary purchases. Try not to exceed your budget.

4. Quality of the fixtures

The first thing that comes to mind when hearing the word "fixtures" is the faucet. The thing is that any device that is connected to the plumbing system represents a fixture. Bathroom fixtures are designed with specific purposes in mind, some being more practical than others. As mentioned earlier, durability is decisive. Get your hands on the best materials out there and avoid cutting corners. In an office building where the fixtures aren’t durable, occupants won’t head home with a good impression.

Final considerations

Neglecting the office bathroom will badly affect your company. The biggest mistake that you can make when it comes to the design of the office restroom is not searching for solutions and settling for what you’ve got. There are many products on the market that can help you change the look and feel of the bathroom. Going to the restroom is necessary in the dynamic of the workplace. The layout of this particular room can encourage of discourage people from taking care of business. Check out the latest trends in restroom design and do something about it.

Cynthia Madison is a young blogger and economics and marketing graduate. She writes about home, lifestyle and family topics and is a senior contributor to popular niche publications.