Requirements for bathroom design have clearly increased – not only due to demographic change. In the discussion with the Deutsche Architektenblatt, the official magazine of the German Chamber of Architects, architects talk about possible solutions and the lack of information with representatives of the industry and of professional associations. Interview: Marion Goldmann and Nils Hille
Professor Kritzmann, Mr Simon, from your point of view, what is the greatest challenge when planning a bathroom?
Bernd Kritzmann: I believe it is modernisation. We have a large number of old buildings with small bathrooms. That will be a great challenge for architects in the future, particularly with regard to accessibility. Second is the development of a new living culture, as bathrooms will have a very different priority in the future.
Heiko Simon: It is very important to us to analyse, to work out together with the building owners what their objectives are. The greatest challenge for existing buildings is to then align these requirements with the structural possibilities and to e.g. also verify in how far multi-generational planning is even feasible.
Are there suitable solutions for these challenges, particularly with regard to accessibility?
Dirk Engelhardt: From my point of view, we – the industry – offer a large variety of product solutions, including for accessible construction. And not only for the generation 50plus: Allowing generous room for movement, avoiding edges and integrating rest and relaxation zones provides convenience for people in all phases of life, from toddlers to old age.
Thomas Richter: Yes, we have to bear in mind that a bathroom goes through a life cycle together with the user. Clever solutions can help to ensure that the bathroom will not require extensive renovations in later phases of life but will remain usable in the long term. What is more – bathrooms have long ceased to be a mere line-up of sanitary objects. They are developing into wellness and health centres and should remain attractive in the long term.
And which issues are important for the valve manufacturers?
Wolfgang Burchard: We, too, are interested in bathrooms for demographic change. The average German today is 45 years old. It is therefore crucial to develop a sustainable bathroom design that adapts to the changing requirements while also being attractive. One of the greatest challenges for bathroom planning is therefore the implementation of an ideal synthesis of function and design.
Isn't that whining on a high level? Your target group comprises virtually all ages, from 0 to 100.
Burchard: We have to confront the fact that people want different things today than 30 years ago. To put it bluntly: Prefab bathroom units are out. Today, everyone wants to feel good in their bathroom. So we are not whining on high level. We are simply seeing the facts: Requirements change and the sanitaryware industry is adapting its portfolio accordingly.
“Good planning takes into account that bathrooms should not require renovating in later phases of life.”
Thomas Richter
What do the architects think?
Simon: The actual building owners often do not plan bathrooms with a view to later phases of life. If their requirements change, they simply move house.
Are we talking about higher income groups with their own house here or also about people with an average income who have wishes but lack the financial means?
Kritzmann: Most people want comfort, and that includes people living in conventional flats. It is therefore important to create comfort for the average consumer as well. By the way, I don't really like the term “accessibility”. We probably only use it for lack of something better. It makes bathrooms that are “not accessible” sound very negative, though.
Looking at advertising brochures, you get the impression that the industry primarily offers expensive solutions for bathrooms with up to 40 square metres.
Wolfgang Burchard: We, too, are interested in bathrooms for demographic change. The average German today is 45 years old. It is therefore crucial to develop a sustainable bathroom design that adapts to the changing requirements while also being attractive. One of the greatest challenges for bathroom planning is therefore the implementation of an ideal synthesis of function and design.
Are we talking about higher income groups with their own house here or also about people with an average income who have wishes but lack the financial means?
Kritzmann: Most people want comfort, and that includes people living in conventional flats. It is therefore important to create comfort for the average consumer as well. By the way, I don't really like the term “accessibility”. We probably only use it for lack of something better. It makes bathrooms that are “not accessible” sound very negative, though.
Looking at advertising brochures, you get the impression that the industry primarily offers expensive solutions for bathrooms with up to 40 square metres.
Kritzmann: From my industry contacts I know that they look at smaller bathrooms as well. Also, the products have changed considerably in the meantime. When I think back to accessible bathrooms from the early 1990s, then I would have preferred not to set foot into those. From an aesthetic point of view there is no comparison to today's fittings or seating areas. Today we fit showers with a seat not only for the many users with limited movement but because it just looks good and provides additional comfort – for people of any age.
And you provide education on this at your advice centre in Hamburg?
Kritzmann: Yes, but another problem is emerging during our advice sessions: People will only take care of the required changes when they absolutely have to. They should therefore be motivated to make changes to their bathrooms much earlier and not only after 30 years.
Why is it that way?
Kritzmann: There are many reasons for not wanting change. Too much effort, money, mess and noise, and many also say: “We only have a very small bathroom. The bathroom fitters don't have time for that.” The industry needs to provide more clever solutions for small bathrooms. One example: A shower is to be installed in a small bathroom with sink and toilet. We have found a system that combines sink and toilet. The sink is mounted on a rotating pipe above the toilet and can be swivelled in an out as needed. This creates space for a shower area of one meter by one meter.
“The industry needs to provide more clever solutions for small bathrooms.”
Professor Bernd Kritzmann, HafenCity University
Engelhardt: The industry offers numerous solutions that reduce noise, mess and installation effort, but even some architects are not aware of these. We therefore need a more intensive and more targeted exchange of knowledge among the parties involved.
Richter: Making a bathroom more user-oriented and more comfortable is not primarily a price issue, but a question of space and design. For example, if a seat is wanted in the shower, the shower enclosure should be a little wider. It does not necessarily have to be a folding seat – a low tiled wall is also an option.
So what are the requirements for the architects then?
Richter: Paying more attention to bathrooms. Modern bathrooms should be inviting as a place to relax. That also includes separating the toilet from the bathroom if possible. Ingrained planning and installation structures usually prevent this, though. To plan a sustainable bathroom, I find it very important to ask in advance which individual requirements already exist today and to point out that these will change over the course of the years. Particularly for new buildings, this should receive a lot more attention. For example, we should not just ask whether the client wants a 160 cm bathtub and an 80 cm shower and then plan a wall of 2.4 m length. Instead of the minimalist version, the user should get more opportunities to independently decide how important bathing or showering is to them.
Kritzmann: The first point of call for building owners is usually the bathroom fitters. While tradesmen have the technical know-how, they often lack knowledge of aesthetics and functionalities.
Simon: For me it is often also a question of what building owners and fitters want. For example, if the bathroom fitter finds a floor-level shower too tricky and tells the building owner that this is structurally not on option, then it doesn't matter what the industry develops. Thanks to the internet, however, building owners are now increasingly better informed so that the tradesmen cannot employ this “no can do” mentality as easily as before.
Burchard: What priority do bathrooms actually have in architects' training within the framework of the overall planning of a building?
Kritzmann: That is covered by residential architecture. There is no isolated consideration of bathrooms. The topic of “bathrooms in residential buildings” is established at all universities but probably covered to varying degrees.
From what you are saying, I keep hearing that there is a lack of correct flow of information. How could this be improved?
Engelhardt: In our experience, it is not so much the industry not wanting to provide information as rather the overall massive stream of information that architects are being inundated with. We are very happy to provide input but we keep coming up against closed doors because other issues seem to take priority.
“There are many online platforms for the subject of bathrooms. But not a single one that directly targets architects.”
Wolfgang Burchard, Blue Responsibility sustainability initiative
Simon: Absolutely. They could take on the task of creating awareness among building owners. We have a solution for everything.
Kritzmann: But someone first has to meet the building owners on their level. We have developed an internet portal with a 3D bathroom planner (at www.online-wohn-beratung.de) that shows sample solutions. This collection of ideas works really well, which is evident by the high number of clicks on the web page.
Three ideas to finish with:
Idea 1. Why do industry, professional associations and architects not unite to go on a kind of “customer roadshow”, for example? Other industries have been making this effort for a long time.
Richter: On a content level I completely agree with you. One of the reasons is probably the fact that where the industry is concerned, each manufacturer primarily wants to put their own products forward. But maybe this group is a first closing of ranks for a future cooperation. I welcome the idea that professional associations should get more active in this area.
Idea 2: Would a dialogue with students also be a topic for the professional associations?
Kritzmann: As a teacher, I would be interested in that, because we need support from the industry that focuses on specific topics and is not tied to an individual manufacturer. Given the complexity of the tasks, we can just no longer handle everything on our own. The students need ideas and solutions. For example, we could organise a workshop on the topic of bathrooms and invite various company representatives for lectures.
Burchard: In principle, addressing students offers us very exciting opportunities to create awareness for the issue of sustainable bathroom design among a new generation of architects early on. But the universities would have to stand behind this extensively. If the universities do not want to make bathrooms a topic then one single workshop will not do much good.
Kritzmann: It is probably not the case everywhere, but there certainly has been a change in awareness during recent years. We could also have a combined event with several lectures for practising and future architects.
Mr Simon, would you as an experienced architect take part in such an event?
Simon: Yes, absolutely. Compact events like that would be beneficial, for the time factor alone.
Idea 3: Would it make sense to think about a joint online platform?
Burchard: There are many platforms. Our sales channel alone has several. But there are none that directly target architects. They are all aligned to either end consumers or tradesmen. I would welcome a joint platform.
Kritzmann: I agree. It would be a good idea to develop a neutral platform.
Isn't all the information already there but it is just not possible to find it all gathered in one place?
Richter: At Blue Responsibility, we have the end consumer page bewegung-im-bad.net, which highlights the topic of bathroom design through demographic change, as well as the page aktion-barrierefreies-bad.de at the Association of the German Sanitary Industry. But if we want to approach architects directly, we should start by finding out what exactly they want to know and hear. We would certainly have enough content to create a platform that is geared directly towards architects. Overall, our goal for the future is to have a more intensive exchange between architects, planners and the industry so we can design bathrooms that are even more sustainable and demand-oriented.
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Wolfgang Burchard is the spokesman for the Blue Responsibility sustainability initiative and managing director of the VDMA Valve Manufacturers Association.
Heiko Simon is an architect and interior designer and has had his own planning office since 2002. Before that, he worked for a large hospital trust in Trier. A new addition is the private sector with the planning of bathrooms which are customised for special user requirements.
Dirk Engelhardt is an architect and works as a sales manager for the sanitaryware manufacturer Geberit.
Professor Bernd Kritzmann is an architect and a professor at the HafenCity University in Hamburg. He is involved in the managing committee of the Barrierefrei Leben (accessible living) society in Hamburg, a senate initiative as a point of contact for citizens with disabilities and senior citizens. His team has developed an internet portal with a 3D bathroom planner.
Thomas Richter is the head of business development at Dornbracht which also includes trend analysis.