The Importance of Bathrooms
Modern bathrooms and appliances. Standard Mfg. Co., 1903. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Architects should pay attention to the products of housebuilders, because they reflect what developers believe the market is demanding, and developers are often betting the farm that they are right – or at least not too far wrong.
A few days ago, I saw an ad for “boutique stacked townhouses.” The two-bedroom units are obviously small, so they have been carefully considered. After deducting the area of the stairs, each contains 85 square metres of useable floor space. I noticed that even though the bedrooms were small, and the living/dining/kitchen area compact, these units included two full bathrooms and one powder room, measuring about 12 square metres in total – about 14 per cent of the entire useable area of the unit. The developer apparently believes that members of the target market for these small (but not inexpensive) units will trade off larger bedrooms or other living space for more bathroom space.
I was struck by the contrast between these new buildings and a unit in the same city, which I have, over past decades, taken apart twice. It is a two-bedroom 1930s duplex of about 130 square metres. When I first encountered this building, each unit had a single bathroom that was clearly the smallest that the original developer could configure – and, inconveniently, the door swung into the bathroom. Although it was a reasonably upscale building in a nice area, the people of that time, 80 years ago, preferred more generous bedrooms and living/dining rooms.
A moderately priced bathroom with the latest equipment. Emco Booklet “D”: Beauty in the Bath Room, 1920. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Over the years, that duplex bathroom has grown, first by moving the door along a corridor so it no longer swung inwards. Why this was not done originally, we will never know, but the original arrangement underlined the unimportance of the bathroom for other than the most utilitarian functions. Twenty years later, a bedroom closet was relocated, making the bathroom considerably larger, but the second bedroom smaller. The simple sink was replaced with a fashionable cabinet and granite countertop.
In smaller units, designers have to allocate space carefully, anticipating what purchasers or renters want. It is apparent that the relative value of bathroom space to other living space has changed. Of course, the marginal value of bathroom space will almost always be greater than that of a bedroom or living room. One square metre added to a bathroom can make a substantial difference, while subtracting it from a large living room might not even be noticeable. Just a few decades ago, the bathroom was clearly of relatively little importance. Families shared one bathroom, the master ensuite was rare, and a ground-floor two-piece, an extravagance. How different domestic spaces are valued have changed – with the bathroom coming out the winner.
Other possibilities cannot be ignored. People in the building industry may forget that the wider population is less able to read and understand drawings than they are. So when housing is sold from plans, purchasers may not be fully aware of the trade-offs they are making. People will see the bathrooms on the plans and can count them, whereas the relative size of bedrooms and other spaces is less apparent, even when furniture is shown. The list of features in the accompanying advertisement focuses on the kitchen and bathroom: granite countertops, ceramic tile floors and imported cabinetry. There is simply more to be celebrated in bathrooms than in dining rooms.
There are other messages that can be learned based on the configuration of small units. The changing importance Canadian society puts on bathrooms is obvious when considering the unit designs of this project. Will the units in this proposed project appeal? Only time will tell, but the developer is betting they will.