Guidebook for Airport Terminal Restroom Planning and Design (2015)

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3 1.1 How to Use This Guidebook The task of planning and designing traveler-responsive restrooms is complicated. Nearly every expectation or requirement is in conflict with another. Adding enough space to maneuver in the toilet stall with a carry-on bag, for example, takes away potential income-generating square footage for concessions or hold rooms. But compressing the plumbing chase footprint to increase usable restroom area creates a hardship for the plumbers. Piecing together this puzzle requires more than just one or two facilities staff and an architect. It requires a team: the restroom team. Representatives of all airport stakeholders and outside experts must work together to priori- tize customer accommodations so that planning and design is fiscally responsible and does not adversely compromise airport operations. This guidebook is organized chronologically to follow the process that the restroom team navigates, from determining drivers and goals through post-construction evaluation. Planning is the first of the three primary efforts in a restroom project. It is the walk-before- running stage. It is a big picture view of what the airport has and what it needs in terms of where restrooms should be located, how many fixtures are required, and how much space each location will need. It also considers timing—whether all restrooms will be completed at once or in phases. This is different from the design effort, which focuses on the quality of the components rather than the quantity. Design balances the character of the spaces with the durability, maintenance of the materials, and facility operations. This requires prioritizing the most impactful components against cost and maintenance requirements. When the scope of the work to be done is finalized and documented, the implementation effort begins. While relatively straightforward, the implementation, or construction, period is an opportunity to monitor which aspects of the design are difficult to build or obtain as well as refine details both for the project at hand and for future work. With the grand opening of the new restrooms comes the compilation of the restroom standard, which will streamline future restroom initiatives. Figure 1-1 illustrates the restroom development process and, in turn, the organization of this guidebook. Extensive supporting forms and reference materials are located in the appendixes to stream- line the primary content. Throughout this guidebook, the following icons have been used to highlight significant points of interest. C H A P T E R 1 Introduction

4 Guidebook for Airport Terminal Restroom Planning and Design Significant Customer Service Impact Accessibility Sustainability Product Development Opportunity Potential Conflict with Other Needs 1.2 Research Approach The development of this guidebook began with reviewing current resources available for the planning and design of restrooms, soliciting input from significant stakeholders—including the traveler and the airport management perspectives—and conducting case studies at airports of various sizes throughout the United States. In the process of studying the evolution of public restrooms and current trends in airport restroom design, the research team envisioned the Airport Restroom of the Future (Appendix I) to provoke contemplation and discussion. DE RE EV E RE C M PLANNING TERMINE NEED FORM STROOM TEAM ALUATE XISTING STROOMS REATE ASTER PLAN D RE D A ES STA EVELOP STROOM ESIGN NALYZE COSTS TABLISH NDARDS DESIGN CON RES R CU SATI R MAN SATI U STA IMPLEMENTATION STRUCT TROOMS EVIEW STOMER SFACTION EVIEW AGEMENT SFACTION PDATE NDARDS Figure 1-1. Restroom development process.

Introduction 5 With an understanding of the state of the industry, the team focused on developing com- prehensive methods for evaluating an airport’s current restroom facilities to determine an airport’s actual needs. Building on this data, formulas and restroom layout prototypes were established to aid the restroom team in their development of a restroom master plan. Considering airports of different sizes, design considerations were developed to guide the process of selecting components by prioritizing such aspects as costs, maintenance, and sustainability. Guidance on the impacts of new construction versus renovations was also created. Finally, a process for evaluating the success of a restroom project was formulated to refine an airport’s restroom standards for future projects. 1.3 State of the Industry In 2008, Airport Interviewing & Research, Inc. conducted an extensive survey of airport travelers’ restroom concerns and desires entitled “In Search of the Perfect Restroom.” At that time, the top findings were as follows: 1. Concern about cleanliness and germs. 2. Concern about privacy. 3. Concern for security of personal belongings. 4. Expectations for convenience in terms of amenities and proximity. Other comments included the desire of travelers with disabilities to have a restroom reserved for them so they do not have to wait for the accessible stall to be free, lack of clear signage, too small toilet stalls, intrusion of natural and fixture noises, poor ventilation, preferences for fixture features, inadequate lighting, and preferences for light colors and less or no grout joints that tend to show dirt. The focus groups and surveys conducted for this guidebook confirmed that these issues remain. It was also confirmed that the airport industry is aware of the customer service issues, although perhaps not to the depth revealed in the above outreach efforts. Aviation industry surveys tend to lack enough detail related to restrooms for airport managers to fully appreci- ate the extent of their customers’ concerns. The aim of this guidebook is to support the airport managers with this level of detail. 1.4 Attributes of Successful Airport Restrooms Ideally, a visit to a restroom is one of many unremarkable daily tasks. Travelers are thinking about that sunny beach that awaits, the opening words of their big presentation, or seeing their kids after a month at the grandparents. The restroom should not jar travelers from their reverie. At most, they should pause as they enter the restroom and think, “Oh, isn’t this pleasant.” Public restrooms in airports often give travelers their first and last impression of their destination. No wonder the passenger’s experience is so high on customer service surveys. In addition, restrooms are the one space in our built world that everyone has an opinion about, and the opinion is often an emotional one. As this guidebook will demonstrate, restrooms that are successful find the balance between accommodating the needs and expectations of the traveler, the efficiency of airport operations, and the costs of building and managing these spaces. While aesthetics are important and certainly impact a traveler’s perceptions of cleanliness and safety, function still rules. Toilets must work and be clean; dispensers need to have ample paper supply; there needs to be a clean, dry location to place belongings at the sink; and the soap dispensers have to work.

6 Guidebook for Airport Terminal Restroom Planning and Design Trends in restroom design focus on touch-free environments, open entryways without doors, large-format materials with minimal joints, concealed trash, alternative hand-drying options, and of course sustainability. This includes water- and energy-saving flush valves and faucets, energy-efficient lighting, and occupancy sensors. The biggest trend in the last decade has been on customer service, the primary driver for most of these initiatives and the impetus for this guidebook. Nearly every airport has some means of collecting travelers’ comments—from old school suggestion boxes to social media. The key is to track the pulse of the airport’s heart— its traveling public.