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In answer to their brief, designers Avanti Architects and industry suppliers Panaloc Worldwide Manufacturing have developed the washroom pod. The brief asked the team to design new ward layouts, which can be retro-fitted across the range of NHS hospital ward-types, to help deliver same-sex accommodation.
Washroom pod interior
Their solution turns a bathroom into a standardised product that can be installed in a hospital in just two or three days.
Retro-fitting washrooms into existing wards
The pod can be installed internally, potentially revolutionising existing hospital wards.
Internal retro-fit
Taking up no more space than a standard bed-bay, the pod can be fitted on the wards themselves, or in previously disused hospital rooms, helping to improve ward layout with minimum disruption.
Reducing the likelihood of male and female patients passing each other
In existing hospital layouts, patients of the opposite sex often have to pass each other on the way to bathroom facilities. The washroom pod has the potential to help eliminate many of these undignified moments.
Pre-manufactured
The completely pre-manufactured pod has been designed so that it is quick, easy, and cost-effective to install.
Removable panels and waste disposal
Removable panels allow easy access for cleaning and routine maintenance, while the floor has been designed with a pumped waste system, so the unit can sit on top of an existing hospital floor and still deal with shower waste.
Disabled access
Despite its small and compact size, it is fully accessible by all patients, including those using a wheelchair.
External retro-fit
Most dramatically, the pod can be attached to the outside of a building, stacked one on top of the other. Configured in this way, the pod can reach upper floors with minor internal disruption, while drainage and power is connected to existing infrastructure.