F ew areas of venues are likely to be as
frequented – and yet as unappreciated –
as restroom facilities. But not all
restrooms are created equal, and stadia
environments call for bathrooms capable
of coping with extreme and unique circumstances.
“Stadia are some of the largest assembly
occupancy buildings in the world,” explains Matthew
Clark, principal – plumbing department head at
engineering and consulting firm Smith Seckman
Reid (SSR). “And they are used in a way that has
almost everyone using the restroom or concessions
at very specific times during a three- or four-hour
event. Due to that, the demand on the system is
significant,” he says.
As a result, stadium operators must ensure there
is sufficient restroom capacity in terms of users –
determining the right number and size of facilities
for a given venue – but also that the implemented
system is capable of dealing with the stresses of such
usage. Notably, the drive to ensure abundant facilities
has tended to be led by venue teams, rather than
legislators, with stadium operators going above and
BATHROOM SOLUTIONS
beyond mandated provisions in the quest to improve
fan experience.
“The codes surrounding restrooms really haven’t
changed much in the 20 years that I’ve been doing
this,” says Kevin Lewis, venue practice director at
Henderson Engineers. “It really just dictates that you
have a minimum number of fixtures. Most of the
people we work with are exceeding those minimums,
however, knowing that restrooms are a hotspot and
that wait times are probably one of the more
aggravating things for people visiting big venues.”
What has begun to change, both experts observe,
is the mix and type of restroom facilities being
specified in venue projects.
“At Henderson, we’ve started to devise some
calculations where we might, for example, put in
more women’s restrooms, knowing that the line tends
to be longer than for men’s – we’ll do an unequal
balance,” explains Lewis. “Also, on a few projects
we’ve seen combined men’s and women’s facilities,
so you have full-height stalls. Anybody can use any
stall, and the area where you wash your hands is
all-access as well.”
www.stadia-magazine.com June 2020 41
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