NYC DOT Public Toilet Prototype

In 2018, the NYC Department of Transportation commissioned us to create a public toilet prototype that is safe, vandal-proof, economical, user-friendly, and easy to maintain. The prototype, located on a typical New York street corner, incorporates the same materials (glass and steel) and elements (seats and advertising panels) used in the DOT Street Furniture Series, which includes bus shelters and newsstands. Our pavilion is composed of a kit of prefabricated parts that can be quickly assembled on site. It consists of two rectangular stainless-steel frames, a backlit box for street maps, and a bench. Its compact footprint adheres to sidewalk setback requirements.

Angled louvers at the base and top of the pavilion provide natural ventilation while allowing users to communicate with pedestrians in case of emergency. Three vertical one-way mirror slots allow occupants to surveil their surroundings from inside the toilet. The backlit underside of the entrance canopy and fixture icons serve as occupancy lighting for multilingual users: white light signals empty, blue light occupied—a color selected because it discourages drug use by making veins less visible. A multipurpose washing station located on the exterior of the pavilion doubles as a dog fountain and a place for refilling water bottles.

Client	NYC Department of Transportation
Location	New York, NY
Year	2019