Unisex restrooms

All gender Toilets

We are confronted with the issue of gender diversity almost every day when we use a public restroom. The debate about the pros and cons of all-gender Toilets has been going on for a long time. Find out how this challenge can be solved through design.

In the context of gender diversity, the question arises as to whether and how the previously separate public toilets should be redesigned. There are pros and cons to unisex toilets. On the plus side are gender equality and the avoidance of discrimination. Non-binary, inter*, and trans* people would no longer have to choose a gender when using the toilet and would not risk exclusionary reactions. Parents with children would also find inclusive facilities easier to use. In addition, the Toilet would be significantly more space-saving for everyone—around 40 percent of space could be saved compared to separate toilets.

Shelters for women

On the other hand, there are concerns that shared toilets will result in the loss of safe spaces for women. Feminists point out that separate toilets are an achievement for women's rights. And there are other arguments. According to the United Nations, girls in the Global South will only attend school if there are separate, lockable toilets.

In Scandinavian countries, Australia, New Zealand, and some US states, however, universal toilets are already widespread. Toilets in airplanes and trains, as well as toilets for people with disabilities, are gender-neutral anyway. Educational institutions such as schools and universities in particular have installed unisex toilets in recent years. Shared toilets are somewhat less common in offices. Nevertheless, there are examples: the office of the US internet company Mozilla in Berlin, designed by De Winder Architects, has such sanitary facilities.

Unisex toilet designed by De Winder Architects for Mozilla's office in Berlin: plenty of space and transparency in the anteroom creates a sense of security and ensures well-being. Image © Mark Seelen

The toilet cubicles in the unisex toilet are closed flush with the ceiling and floor. Image © Mark Seelen

Wide range of variants

The design of an all-gender toilet may or may not differ from that of a conventional toilet. It depends on whether it is an existing or new building, whether it is a single-person or multi-person facility, and how many people use it. Ultimately, government guidelines differentiate according to the type of public building. The product design will not change, as the toilet offered by Duravit in different versions is gender-neutral per se. The discussion is different when it comes to urinals.

If the regulations for existing buildings allow it, separate toilets can be made accessible to all by renaming them. However, these are rarely structurally suitable for this purpose. It is advisable to completely redesign the universal toilet facility. However, certain design guidelines should be followed in order to maintain the protection, privacy, and hygiene requirements of users.

Visual and noise protection

It has proven effective to focus on transparency in the toilet vestibule: the vanities in the facility should be partially or fully visible from the outside to provide security. It should also not be too cramped here: more space is more comfortable for users because they do not have to stand too close to each other. If there is a lot of space available, the sinks can also be installed in the individual toilet facilities – this creates even more privacy. When planning toilet cubicles, care should be taken to ensure that the walls and doors are flush from floor to ceiling. They provide both visual and noise protection. Then, above all, a decision must be made about the installation of urinals. Proponents argue that they are space-efficient. However, the men's urinal is a product that is gender-specific in design. If you want to design for all genders, you should at least install it behind a closed door.

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