Leading commercial
washroom designer and manufacturer, Washroom Washroom, has utilised its
off-site service to deliver the perfect design solution for a high
specification office washroom and changing area.
4 Kingdom Street, the
first building developed by British Land at Paddington Central, is a landmark
nine-storey building encompassing a number of wellbeing design features
including outside terraces; a ‘glass pod’ delivering a creative meeting space
outside of the main floorplate; and a social rooftop space including a café,
bar and London’s highest rooftop basketball court.
Washroom Washroom
worked closely with Allies and Morrison and main contractor Wates Construction
to create the unique washrooms and showers, designed to complement the high
specification interior of the building. Washroom utilised its off-site
construction methods in order to fine-tune the design before installation on
site.
The full height Alto
toilet cubicle doors, which are a key feature of the new washroom design, were
specified with a real wood veneer finish, stained to match the solid Douglas
fir timber panelling in the reception area. Washroom took the lead on this and
undertook several trials, adjusting the colour of the stain until a
near-perfect match for the distinctive pale grey Douglas fir was achieved. This
delicate process was undertaken off-site at Washroom’s Essex factory, several
months ahead of installation, saving valuable time on site and reducing the
risk of costly changes to the design at a later stage.
The full-size mock-ups
took into consideration the placement of existing windows, doors and lighting
to create an accurate representation of the finished space. A photo was even
taken looking out of the existing washroom window and this image was then blown
up to the exact size of the window, allowing the client the opportunity to view
the washroom as close to finished as possible. Once the design was approved,
the washrooms were deconstructed and stored safely at the factory ready to be
delivered to site just in time.
As well as the
distinctive Douglas fir real wood veneer finish, the toilet cubicles also
incorporate a bespoke iPad holder as part of the design. The full-height Alto
cubicles feature a flush front design to create an attractive, virtually
seamless façade – ideal for a high specification office washroom.
Washroom also
manufactured bespoke vanity units with cast polished concrete tops manufactured
by MASS Concrete and integral waste bins. Its attractive Tego hinged mirror
unit was fitted above the sinks to provide a neat and compact hidden storage
solution for essential washroom consumables.
The new staff shower
and changing room area which Washroom installed in the basement at 4 Kingdom
Street features full height Alto FENIX shower cubicles for an ultra matt, high
performance finish, along with Z style Forza solid grade laminate lockers.
Greg Holme, associate
director at Allies and Morrison said: “Washroom were helpful and patient,
especially regarding getting the Douglas fir stain exactly right. They also
recommended the concrete manufacturer for the vanities, who went on to supply
concrete flooring for the main reception and concrete treads for the feature
stair.
“The washroom mock-up
was part of our specification and was vital to the success of this project.
Washroom worked closely with us to deliver exactly what we were looking for and
I know the client is happy with the end result.”
Trevor
Bowers, director at Washroom Washroom added: “One of
the defining trends of commercial washrooms in recent years is the demand for
more expensive and unusual materials so taking the time to make sure the design
is perfect at the earliest stage is essential. Creating full-scale mock-ups is
an invaluable tool for projects like this to help clients visualise the
complete washroom design months ahead of installation, making the whole process
more efficient.”
