I’m (almost) always a supporter of ideas that conserve energy or resources. Theoretically then, I’d be for this minimalist bathroom idea show below, made with a minimum of materials, it looks like something from IKEA.
Only one problem…the dual use design is just a wee bit problematic:
Yes that’s right, it’s the eco pee n’ wash urinal combo hand wash stand.
From “Yanko Design” who writes:
Whoa! Men To Pee and Wash In The Same Stand!
I’m not a man so I really don’t know how comfortable you guys are going to be with this thought…peeing and washing hands in the same urinal stand! What Designer Yeongwoo Kim has done is incorporated the wash basin just above the spot you take aim to pee. The reason cited is that you’ll save a water flush cycle, coz when you rinse your hand after the job (I hope you guys do that!), the same gray water can be used to cleanse the urinal basin. Tell me, how many of you guys will be comfortable with this? For once, my opinion doesn’t count, but I do find it funny!
Eco Urinal is an iF Concept Design 2010 winning entry!
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Well good for that, ew.
My question back is this: Since equality is important in our society today, please show me the water saving design for women’s restrooms.
Oh, no pee n’ wash design for that? Focus groups said Eww! ? Check.
I really don’t want to save water that much, and I really don’t think anyone else does either. Modern sanitation is one of mankind’s greatest health achievements. Let’s not mess with success. Plus, I don’t think the glass would survive long in a public restroom.
I think this is a FAIL blog candidate. Like George Costanza’s travel dilemma , faced with one of these on a road trip I wouldn’t go to the bathroom the entire trip.
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Women will be required to utilize a “Whiz Freedom” (or similar device). They can rinse it out right there in that handy sink and then fold it into their pocket.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Freedom-Purple-Whiz/dp/B001ANQDVG/ref=pd_sim_sg_2
EcoStupid Design is more stupid than design.
MD says:
August 30, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Actually, women & men can be both catered to with this Australian invention-
http://www.royalflush.net.au/
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I would want to see this one mounted in the middle of the room to save my back…..
HMMMmmm That is the answer to BOTH of these designs. Place the toilet/urinal on one side of a wall and the sink on the other (perhaps raised a step or two) with the grey water draining into the flush tank.
With modern electronics, lack of handwashing isn’t necessarily a problem. If sensors detect the patron leaving without washing, autoflush is enabled. To improve accuracy, perhaps the bottom splash guard could be angled toward the wall, giving enough foot room for point blank fire.
With the design shown above, I suspect that the slightly inebriated may occasionally “go” between the intended stalls. Perhaps panels could be put over the empty spaces and decorated with images of toothy shark mouths or nasty metal gears as a deterrent.
The design above also lacks the leprechaun stall(s) required by modern codes, but of course as others have pointed out, this introduces additional possibilities for accidents. I’m 6′ tall, and trying to use a “shorty” I look like a giraffe at a waterhole. 🙂
Christopher says:
August 30, 2010 at 3:34 pm
Im nearly 7 foot tall. Wonder if id be able to wee in the sink part…
I’m nearly 6 feet tall and KNOW I can pee in the sink part…… LOL
Mike from Canmore says:
August 30, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Longer time at one station. Longer bottle neck and a critical function leading to longer line ups. Can’t see them working at sporting events.
If water saving is the key, why not cycle the gray water from the sink through a tank and then use it to rinse the toilets.
Reminds me of a joke.
2 buddies, 1 a Med student and the other an Engineering student are in the john together taking a leak….
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You forgot the chemist. He washes his hands BEFORE he takes a leak. As my safety instructor once put it. I know where that (pointing to his middle) has been but I do not know where my hands have been.
I want to wash my hands in a separate place away from the smell, thank you very much.
This thing is just nasty.
@MD – I used one of those just last week!
It was a little strange. You do your business, turn around, and hit the flush button on the top of the cistern/basin. The flush starts the water flowing out of the faucet for you to wash your hands, with the waste plug draining into the toilet cistern. keep in mind that a toilet flush is about 4 litres or more, and the flow out of the tap isn’t that fast.
Having to straddle the toilet pan to wash your hands is a little uncomforable, especially when it’s in a 1m/3’4″ wide toilet cubicle…
“faced with one of these on a road trip I wouldn’t go to the bathroom the entire trip.”
Aw, c’mon, Anthony, this is actually kind of a cool idea. I’d definitely use it — initially just for the unique experience, and later I could probably get used to it on a more permanent basis.
As long as the faucet is non-touch, which it looks to be, I don’t see that there is a meaningful issue in terms of sanitation. I note their photoshop picture doesn’t include a soap dispenser, but presumably that would also be included and non-touch as well? It’s not a bad idea for saving some water. Getting rid of the glass for porcelain or stainless steel should resolve your concern on that front.
I wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing the space between the units with another guy’s foot. What if he decides to give you a toe tapping?
It would also be fun to paint a translucent bullseye pattern on the bottom the glass separator, just for fun. And since when is number 1 blue????
Even my dog has a better idea than that, and wastes no water whatsoever.
Of course, my dog has an excuse, and is much more friendly to the ecology of the trees and grass.
By the looks of it, ‘splashback’ would be a major problem with this design!
Can you imagine what the glass must look like at the end of the day?
I didn’t see the head-rest on the mirror to lean against when you have had a wee bit too much spirits. Not up to date enough I think. (-)
Sorry but I don’t agree that glass should ever be used in toilet designs. The image of that wash basin shattering and raining jagged shards of glass down on my penis is not a strong selling point. In fact, it would probably cause me to lock up and prevent me from actually peeing. Is this the “innovative green economy” that Barbara Boxer keeps babbling on about? Maybe she can sell these things when she’s out of a job in November.
This isn’t a new idea at all, as dual function (sit style) wash/flush toilets such as this have been standard in Japan for decades. You flush and then wash your hands in a mini sink on top of the tank. The hand washing water fills the tank after you wash your hands. It’s just plain cold water and there’s no soap (and often no paper towels.)
Don’t get me started on the single ply rice paper toilet tissue…which has no strength, no absorption, and is as rough as sandpaper…
Being discharge pressure challenged I foresee potential problems arising due to trajectory undershoot/overshoot.
The Japanese already have toilets that use a little sink over the tank to fill the tank:
So, yes, there is a similar solution for everyone.
Were Ikea involved in the design meetings and explanatory diagram creation?
And the last drips fall on the floor or on your shoes.
Anecdote: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away …
Back in 1973, when I was stationed at the Naval Air Facility, at Andrews AFB, in Morningside, Maryland, I had the opportunity to visit the Operations building at the facility whilst attending business there.
I availed myself of the restroom facilities (referred to as a ‘head’ in Navy lingo), and noticed a plaque glued to the wall above each of the urinal flush valves: “Pilots with short probes, and or low manifold pressures, please step closer.”
:o)
In order to save water (or for whatever reason), most men don’t wash anyway.
“If you (or rather if *one*) can’t visit a urinal in that format without accidentally directing a jet above waist height, there are more fundamental problems. ”
There must be more fundamental problems, because I often see the tops of urinals soaked with urine. Also, some people would consider it a challenge to hit the top bin rather than the bottom. I don’t care how sanitary urine is, I don’t want to contact someone else’s. Design fail.
Think car wash where the water is reused.
The basic concept of handwash water to flush is fine and will have appeal to anyone from arid , metered water areas.
The rest of the design is pure designer noodling gone wild, very wasteful of material, un-cleanable and potentially hazardous to clothing.
Why there is anything other than variations on a funnel design target, ( see for example:
http://www.totousa.com/ProductDetail/tabid/75/Default.aspx?ProductId=21964c70-97c2-483d-b97d-3f13a0586628&SearchId=ded5abab-ed49-41ac-ba06-386af087728e )
is beyond me, well not too far beyond me.
Japanese models probably include a glucose test meter as well.