The new Martin Luther King, Jr., National Memorial in Washington, D.C., has a very heavy volume of visitors, including seniors and visitors with limited mobility who enjoy a range of universal design features throughout the monument. Photo courtesy of E. Schapp

For facilities that address the older population segments, recent trends have shown how to make restrooms and other accommodations more comfortable, safe and enjoyable for seniors. “Architects are using toilets in the universal-height range of about 16.5 inches, rather than the lower seats at 15 inches,” says TOTO’s Baldwin. “The difference in effort required is noticeable, and people can use them longer and feel more independent.” This effect contributes to seniors’ ability to live at home longer — which arguably helps reduce overall health costs by reducing the need for assisted living facilities.

Similarly, says Baldwin, bidet-type seats supplied with water and electricity are growing in popularity for the aging-in-place market. “Surveys show that these hygienic seats are seen as helping users preserve their dignity and use the bathroom independently, even if they are dealing with disabilities,” he explains.

New public projects are an ideal place for universal restrooms, Baldwin says, pointing to the new Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C. The design-build team — including the local architecture firm McKissack & McKissack, along with Turner Construction Co., Arlington, Va.-based MEP firm TM/R Engineering, and civil engineering firm Gilford Corporation — were looking for sustainable, high-performance plumbing products for these heavily trafficked public restrooms. The designers specified high-efficiency, 1.28-gallon-per-flush (gpf) toilets along with 0.5 gpf urinals with matching sensor-activated flush valves.

For older population segments, toilets in the universal-height range of about 16.5 inches reduce the effort required to use the fixtures, which helps reduce overall health costs. Photo courtesy of TOTO

A number of these units are set at universal design heights — heights that also meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) height requirements — to accommodate visiting patrons who are physically challenged. Adding to the monument’s socially sustainable profile, high-efficiency 0.5 gpm sensor faucets, like the flush valves, use flowing water to power their electronics, creating a “sustainable loop” that obviates the need for hard wiring. With a minimum of 10 uses per day, the backup batteries installed will last up to 19 years, reducing toxic battery waste.

“With this high-profile project, I wanted to design restrooms that were both highly efficient and low maintenance, offering a new performance standard for the National Parks Service,” says Brian Russell, TM/R senior plumbing designer. “I knew there would be an extremely heavy volume of people visiting Dr. King’s national monument, so reliability and performance were crucial.” The invisible accommodation of seniors and visitors with limited mobility, thanks to various restroom design features including the 17-inch toilet seat heights, reflects user testing by manufacturers and best practices in creating unobtrusive, adaptive and accessible facilities.

Like the novel recharging batteries powered by water, this “intergenerational bathroom design,” which is increasingly common in a range of building types, provides for the long view of building sustainability.