A Restroom Is Infrastructure, but It Is Also Architecture

A toilet in a park can seem like a minor part of a massive public work. The construction of one building may involve landscape architects, contractors, engineers permitting authorities, material suppliers, fixtures manufacturers in addition to the owner.

Every transition raises a basic, yet crucial concern.

Who is responsible for making sure that an element connects in a proper manner?

This is a more valuable question than the portfolio.

Image credit: romtec.com

Keep an eye out for Handoffs

Imagine a plan for the bathroom. The dimensions are perfect while the exterior has been picked, and everyone enjoys the rendering.

Then engineering begins. The layout is affected by a needed change. The modification has an impact on the specifications of a component, and consequently, the procurement. The contractor then discovers that an assumption made during design doesn’t align with the specifications being supplied.

The above issues do not necessarily mean that someone has made a big mistake. These situations illustrate the difficulties of coordination when responsibility has been divided among several parties.

A best park building designer candidate should therefore be evaluated on more than creativity. Understanding codes, components, engineering requirements, documentation real-world construction, and accessibility requirements can aid the design process to be more connected to what will ultimately be built.

Examine the proposal to determine what it’s made of

Two different proposals for seemingly identical buildings could have different scopes.

One package might comprise a whole building. A second could include assistance with the design process renderings, drawings, or plans that are engineered.

Comparatives solely based on the price at the bottom could be deceiving.

Romtec will offer you free estimates and sketches and drawings, specifications and renderings for the bid package. After the acceptance of the concept, the process is moved towards submitting the final bids.

This gives owners and designers an easier path to turn an idea into a building that is built.

Custom Requirements Need Early Attention

Public projects are not always created in the same conditions.

A community might require fixtures and materials that are green. A particular architectural style may be desired by another community. Landscape architects may require unique colors or even sidings to visually link the restroom to other park structures.

These decisions may have more impact than just appearance. They can affect parts, documentation procurement, engineering and construction.

The earlier you address special requirements, the better the team working on the project an opportunity to include them with a purpose rather than attempting to retrofit them once major decisions have been made.

Construction knowledge can alter the design discussion

The best builder of park restrooms for a specific project must recognize that a drawing eventually needs to be transformed into a physical structure.

Romtec produces, sells building materials, builds and designs structures for public use. Romtec offers building packages that can be integrated into larger construction projects. It can also provide turnkey installation.

That design-to-construction experience creates a practical perspective: decisions made at a desk eventually have consequences on a jobsite.

Take a look at the Journey, Not just the destination.

The bathroom that was finished doesn’t reflect the amount of planning which went into it prior to the opening.

The building is visible to the park owners. Visitors see the building. The project teams are part of all the decisions that led towards construction, including design, estimation, documentation, engineering and approvals.

That’s why choosing a park-building partner shouldn’t begin with asking “Do we enjoy their buildings?”

A more useful question is:

Does this company have the ability to help us move from the building we imagine to a building that we actually can open to the public?