Bathrooms make style
statements
| Stylish as they are, modern bathrooms are largely seen as a private
space to refresh and relax and even read and listen to music. |
STYLE AND SUBSTANCE: Modern bathrooms offer a pleasant ambience.
While bathrooms have, of late, become stylish with architects and interior
designers working to combine beauty and utility as desired by clients, careful
planning is indispensable in designing them. More so, because bathrooms cannot
be altered as frequently as other parts of the house can be refurbished, since
plumbing and sanitary facilities are expensive.
Few areas of a house calls for greater attention, from an
angle of beauty and utility, than the bathroom. Aesthetic appeal and usefulness
are of much importance while designing it. Stylish as they are, modern bathrooms
are largely seen as a private space to refresh and relax. Architects say the
design of a bathroom should be dictated by the needs of its users and available
space.
Time was when toilets were located outside the houses.
Concepts have also changed with the flooding of advanced sanitary and bathroom
fittings in the market. Bathrooms are no longer treated as a less important part
of a house. Today, the bathroom is seen as a reflection of its owner's personal
taste. Manufacturers of premium-range bathrooms have succeeded in highlighting
how it can reflect his or her personality.
"Positioning and space utilisation of toilets inside a
house require special attention," says George K. Thomas, architect. Unlike
other rooms, the toilet has permanent fixtures, he says. An architect should
ensure that care is taken to give as much importance to concealed plumbing and
sanitary lines as to the designing of the interiors of the bathroom, he says.
Different
users
The architects and interior designers call for varied
considerations while planning bathrooms for different users: working couple,
children and the aged. While safety is an important aspect to be considered
while designing and arranging a bathroom for children and the aged, working
people, often, prefer the bathroom to be a place to relax and refresh and even
to read and listen to music.
Comfort and style are major concerns of clients while getting
their bathrooms designed, says Mr. Thomas, who is president of the Indian
Institute of Architects Kannur chapter.
The architects and bathroom designers say that sufficient
care should be taken while selecting the sanitary fixtures to ensure colour
coordination, water-saving, easy-to-clean surface, noise-free flushing,
stain-free glaze and smooth contours.
The plumbing consultants add their list of do's and don'ts
while setting up a bathroom. For them, plumbing, sanitation and drainage system
should be given special care while planning bathrooms. If the system fails, the
design meant to give comfort and style is rendered useless. For example, they
say, the septic tank and soak pit should be at sufficient depths to allow the
smooth gravitational flow of solids and effluents into the tank.
M.N.S. Namboothiri of a Kottayam-based plumbing consultancy
firm, says that air vents and inspection chambers should be suitably located.
Unwanted materials should not be flushed in the water closet, he says, as these
will clog the drainage pipes.
Care should also be taken to ensure that soap water does not
enter the septic tank. Waste containing excessive detergent or disinfectants
should not be led into the septic tank, as they adversely affect anaerobic
decomposition, he says. Mr. Namboothiri, who is doing consultancy service for
architects in Kannur, says that the water and soil piping system should be
ventilated for the removal of foul gases. He also calls for care while
constructing the septic tank. "Construction of a septic tank should be such
that direct currents are not established between the inlet and outlet," he
says. This is achieved by using submerged pipe-tees or baffle valves near the
inlet and outlet ends, he advises.
MOHAMED NAZEER
Courtesy: Property Plus, The Hindu
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A new language in design
| Hansgrohe’s Axor-Massuad segment has lavish ingenuity from French
Designer Jean-Marie Massaud and views washrooms as living spaces, says
RANJANI GOVIND |
New makeovers for bathroom décor or fresh architectural
designs for the washroom have been evolving over the years. While one has come
across simple changes that steer from age-old moulds, some define it as an
‘extra service room’ providing some savoir-faire with instantly recognisable
tiles and fixtures now hounding the market. The ascend at the moment is
awe-inspiring though, for, cost factors seem to take a back-seat for high-end
consumers who welcome n ot just technology, but vision and approach for an
overwhelming sense of déjÀ vu, albeit packed in a contemporary experience.
Consider this: Hansgrohe, the bathroom specialists, have soared to reach planes
that view ‘Wash Rooms’ as ‘Living Spaces’ roping in the French Designer
Jean-Marie Massaud to bring in lavish ingenuity to its Axor segment – the
designer brand of Hansgrohe AG – called the Axor Massuad. Steered by Phillipe
Grohe, Axor Brand Manager, in 2005, the effort saw Massuad develop his vision of
an ideal bathroom in ‘Axor WaterDream’ collection where bygone concepts were
retraced with sizzling new depths. Says Grohe, “Massuad’s spatial concept
searches for an elementary connection with nature. With organic and geometric
forms drawing a correlation with natural aesthetics in construct, modern
inventions become ceremonial sculptures dispossessed of technology. The
Axor-Massuad collection doesn’t just symbolise a new language in design, it
exemplifies a philosophy in relationships between people, water and space.”
Whatever would that poetry in bathrooms translate to?
PropertyPlus spoke to Phillipe Grohe (grandson
of the family founder Hans Grohe who started the company in 1901 in Schiltach,
Germany) when the company recently unveiled its new collection for the
discerning bath con noisseurs in Bangalore. The high-end brand Axor also has
extensive collections developed together with internationally renowned
architects and designers such as Antonio Citterio and Philippe Starck.
You say your bathrooms are living spaces…more than just
utility centres?
In the last couple of years, the bathroom has developed more into a living
space in which people can find peace and balance after the increasingly hectic
daily pace. This is all the more true since wellbeing and water share such a
close connection – we recuperate in harmony with the element of water. In
addition to its impact on product design, this transformation of function and
significance steadily has an increasing influence on the room, its size and
structure. Right now, we see a trend towards natural materials in the bathroom
as well as warm lighting.
How did this whole designer concept in bathrooms come
about, particularly the Axor Massaud combo?
The Hansgrohe company with its 106-year history has ever been a driving force
in the sanitary industry when it comes to technical innovations as well as the
design of the products.
It was the first plumbing fixtures manufacturer to take up the challenge of
design innovations. This also began a new phase in the company’s history,
since the products were no longer considered mere technical additions within a
building. The credo was that interior design did not have to end at the bathroom
door – a principle that the Hansgrohe brand Axor took up in the 1990s and has
continued to develop ever since.
“We don’t need fixtures, what we need is water,” is how Jean-Marie
Massaud summarises his approach to design. Indeed, for Axor it is not simply
about offering fixtures, showers, and accessories that are of high quality but
about furnishing an important living space.
What do you mean by addressing solutions in bathrooms?
The hygienic need is not any more the only one to be addressed with a
solution. People’s lives do change. To meet this requirement, Axor offers a
variety of designer collections with extensive product ranges, making
innumerable solutions possible for challenges inherent in bathroom design.
( www.axor-design.com / www.hansgrohe.com)
Courtesy:
Property Plus, The Hindu
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Design washroom better
Dryness is the most important ingredient that contributes to
positive ambience in the washroom. Cleanliness is the other major ingredient
here, for which dryness helps. So, try to segregate two areas - a dry area
(washbasin and the water closet) and the wet area (the shower) - within your
washroom. Plan drops in the floor between dry and wet areas and from the bedroom
to the washroom. Wherever possible use a shower cubicle or shower curtain.
Length of shower curtain should be up to the level of the drop in the floor.
The minimum area is 35-40 square feet of space, with a
minimum width of 5 feet for a good washroom, while a 50-60 square feet space is
optimum. For generating a sense of space, locate the washbasin in front of the
door and tuck bulkier items like the tub or the shower cubicles towards the
interior part of the washroom. The space under the washbasin platform/counter
may be used for locating the laundry bin, while the mirror atop the washbasin
can be fashioned over a cupboard to house cosmetics and toiletries.
Ventilation
Opt for large windows that can bring in adequate natural
light and ventilation allowing you to employ sunlight, heat and air circulation
to keep the bathroom dry and odour free. Privacy need not suffer on account of
this, if you use curtains, louvers or even Venetian blinds. A few floor mats
especially near the basin and shower do wonders for the dry feel and the
ambience.
Finishing
For flooring, ceramic tiles or semi-vitrified tiles are by
far the best options, what with the almost unlimited range of sizes and design
available. However, marble (Indian or Italian) or other natural stones may also
be used.
Avoid polished granite or vitrified tiles on the floor as
they are very slippery especially when wet. For creating an aesthetic ambience,
you could use minimal tiling in the dry areas and substitute it with textured or
plain painted surfaces.
Fixtures
and fittings
Washbasins may be either a counter or a pedestal type and
multiple choices and brands are now available in the market today. Make sure
that the tap selected is long enough so that the water falls well into the
washbasin.
As for water closets, wall hung closets are ideal for
cleanliness and easy maintenance. Choose low water consumption flush tanks and a
health faucet for their hygiene value.
Electrical
fittings
A mirror light is a must especially when shaving with
additional wall lighting for general lighting. A table lamp on a ledge can add
ambience.
Opt for waterproof fittings and try to locate the switches
including the geyser switch outside the washroom. This may take a little getting
used too but is a very good safety practice.
HEMA VIJAY
Courtesy: Property Plus, The Hindu
