Archinect - News

Samuel Ross unveils Brutalism-inspired Kohler smart toilet concept for Milan Design Week

2024-04-02T12:59:00-04:00

Designer Samuel Ross has shared a preview of the new Formation 02, his first smart toilet concept for Kohler, ahead of the opening of this year’s Milan Design Week on April 16th.

The piece is inspired by Brutalist architecture and will retail for $25,000. The brand is marketing his creation as an inspired demarcation from the traditional silhouettes used in its Eir Smart Toilet line.

Ross sees it as a sculptural enhancement of a necessity intended for use in a variety of settings he describes as capable of delivering "democratic, open, public experiences."

Image courtesy Kohler Co.

His design intentions were so described via a scrollable digital 'Manifesto' relating Ross and his studio SR_A’s philosophy and new model for water solutions. This adds to Ross’ longstanding creative relationship with Kohler, which includes the Formation 01 faucets the new product, rendered Haptic Orange, serves to compliment.

Image courtesy Kohler Co.

"Our objective goes beyond function — it’s closer to v...

10 bathroom designs we enjoyed this week

2023-08-05T08:00:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Bathroom Spaces.

Tip: Use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!

↑ Blodgett-Calvin Residential Compound in San Marino, CA by Fung + Blatt Architects; Original Architect: Calvin Straub; Photo: Mark Mahaney

↑ Jule Pond II in Watermill, NY by BMA Architects; Photo: Michael Stavaridis

↑ Hero Office Club in Chengdu, China; Interior Design: BLVD International

↑ San Remo Residence in Pacific Palisades, CA by ShubinDonaldson; Photo: Manolo Langis

↑ 077 Residence in Prague, Czech Republic by Lenka Míková architekti; Photo: BoysPlayNice

↑ Monitor's Rest in Park City, UT by CLB Architects; Photo: Kevin Scott

↑ ANNA Collection in Werkendam, The Netherlands by Caspar Schols

↑ Modern Bungalo...

PAO creates Beijing public restroom from single meandering wall

2023-06-30T11:19:00-04:00

People’s Architecture Office (PAO) has completed a public restroom in Beijing shaped by a single meandering wall. Named Amoeba Public Restroom, the project is located in Manshan Park, a popular destination in Mentougou, Beijing known for its markets, exhibitions, and music performances.

Image credit: People's Architecture Office

“Amoeba Public Restroom is an all-gender facility that is designed to [be] welcoming for all people,” the team explains. “The design features a single meandering wall, which creates distinct individual stalls while maintaining an open and interconnected interior. Conical spaces form light wells that draw natural light into each stall. The resulting spaces bring a sacred beauty to the most profane of activities.”

Image credit: People's Architecture Office

Each stall within the scheme has a unique shape and size. Stall doors do not seal above or below to create a continuity of sp...

San Francisco planning to build $1.7 million single-toilet public restroom

2022-10-31T11:49:00-04:00

A single-toilet public restroom planned for San Francisco’s Noe Valley Town Square is expected to take two years to build, but it’s already causing a stink. The reason: its $1.7 million price tag.

The proposed restroom would sit within a 150-square-foot enclosure within the town square, located in central San Francisco. While there are no designs for the project available, it is expected to be delivered by 2025. According to the city, the high price tag is meant to account for unexpected costs, including the rise of construction costs due to the pandemic, inflation, and global supply chain issues. This is in addition to being located in the most expensive city in the world to build in. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco is also wary of costs from utility company PG&E, which owns the power lines used by the city’s public utility. The company has a history of stalling projects, forcing customers to buy specialized equipment to handle large amounts of electricity.

The project's massive cost and the lengthy timeline were met with outcry, which led California Assemblyman Matt Haney, who secured state funding for the project, to cancel a planned ceremony for the t...

10 bathroom designs we liked this week

2021-10-02T09:00:00-04:00

In case you haven't checked out Archinect's Pinterest boards in a while, we have compiled ten recently pinned images from outstanding projects on various Archinect Firm and People profiles.

Today's top images (in no particular order) are from the board Bathroom Spaces.

Tip: use the handy FOLLOW feature to easily keep up-to-date with all your favorite Archinect profiles!

↑ Branch House in Montecito, CA by TOLO Architecture; Photo: David Hartwell

↑ Cork Trees House in Braga, Portugal by Trama Arquitetos; Photo: João Morgado

↑ Monastero Arx Vivendi in Arco, Italy by noa* network of architecture; Photo: Alex Filz

↑ Spicy • NoSpicy in Kyiv, Ukraine by YOD design Lab; Photo: Andriy Bezuglov

↑ Hale Nukumoi in Kauai, HI by Walker Warner Architects (the firm was also featured in Archinect's Studio Snapshots series); Photo: Matthew Millman

↑ Apartment in Santa Cruz, Portugal by Bala Atelier; Photo: Francisco Nogueira

↑ Viewfinder House in Truckee, CA by Faulkner Architects (the firm was als...

White Room Inspires Interaction

2021-07-14T13:52:00-04:00

This post is brought to you by AF New York

What does an all-white room signify to you? For me, it’s a fraught mix of sanitarium/hospital, a sort of blank slate for digital reality a la The Matrix, and a vaguely heavenly connotation—like something from a film in which Morgan Freeman plays God. Now, what if we adorn said room with all-white upscale bathroom fixtures? What if we bedeck it from tip to toe with Victoria & Albert washbasins, Duravit vanities, Geberit U.S.A. flush plates, and Infinity Drains? How would that make you feel?

Juliana Fajardo, Chief of Staff at AF New York, is betting that this very unorthodox and equally provocative installation will provoke a powerful reaction, one way or another: “The gallery style, the re-contextualization of these objects, allows you to appreciate them on another level, to experience the different textures, the artfulness and the beauty of the forms.”

Kaldewei Washbasins

Looking at White Room’s many mounted urinals, one can’t help but think...

Australian-based studio Madelein Blanchfield Architects designs a disappearing outhouse

2019-12-10T13:20:00-05:00

When thinking of an outhouse, the initial images that come to mind may not be as intriguing or luxe as the outhouse designed by Australian-based studio Madelein Blanchfield Architects. Don't be fooled by their disappearing outhouse structure that blends seamlessly with the lush landscapes of Kangaroo Valley, however, as there is more to it than meets the eye.

According to the studio, the intention of the bathroom's design was to keep it separate from the main cabin and "mimic the experience of camping" during overnight stays. The mirrored cube structure is slightly lifted above the ground, and the one-way mirrors are transparent from the inside.