Cabinnest
Basic information
Project Title
Full project title
Category
Project Description
Cabinnest is the innovative unisex, accessible and public toilet restroom that was designed to be autonomous and thus, to be placed anywhere in the world: in parks, cities or just in wild nature.
Project Region
EU Programme or fund
Description of the project
Summary
Nowadays there is a huge problem regarding public toilet facilities in western cities and parks. The lack of these spaces that should be available for every citizen is really striking and it is still hard to overcome due to the countless negative stereotypes that exist around these places that are seen as vandalic, dark and dirty.
Cabinnest though, offers a possible solution to this big problem. It is a unisex, accessible and public restroom designed to meet all the expectations of hygiene and security, thanks to the use of sensors to avoid vandalism and the use of materials that are all non-slippery, highly durable and antibacterial.
But furthermore this device not only serves a plainly functional purpose to cover the user's most primary needs, but it actually offers a poetic, almost labyrinth-like path around the cabin. The shape is inspired by the transversal cut of a tree trunk that has a core (the restroom) and concentric circles around it (the entry path). And this inspiration on nature besides the mirroring facade (made of polished aluminium sheets) contribute to a very interesting and blending integration with the landscape around it- regardless of whether it is a natural or urban landscape.
This device could really transform the urban landscape, not only aesthetically, but it could transform it into a friendlier and more liveable environment, improving the public hygiene and allowing people to remain longer in urban spaces.
Key objectives for sustainability
Cabinnest is designed to be completely passive and independent, integrating all the installations needed autonomously. Mechanical ventilation, electrical energy supply with solar panels, water supply with rainwater tanks and waste management with a phyto-purification system are all orchestrated to work together in this device. All these systems integrated in one device, make this public toilet a very green and efficient solution that could furthermore be placed on any surrounding, independently of the public installation networks.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
The design of this public toilet features a very interesting path through its concentric mirrored walls that envelopes the cabin in a scenographic and poetic atmosphere. That way, the experience of going to a public restroom is not only limited to a feeling of hygiene and security; it is elevated into a new dimension as one walks around it, almost as if it was an art installation.
Key objectives for inclusion
One of the main aims of the project since the beginning was to design a toilet that could be in any case public, accessible and unisex. For that reason, all the paths are wide enough for disabled people; the cabin is unisex and includes a baby-changing table, to ensure that any parent of any gender could use it; and it is free and open to every citizen that would like to relieve him or herself. With the implementation of these cabins, we would be working forward towards a much-needed improvement of our public spaces.
Innovative character
Cabinnest is a very innovative device in terms of technology, as it integrates very advanced systems: such as the phyto-purification of the waste water or solar energy supply with solar panels.
But it also is quite advanced as it integrates the highest technology with the humanistic and social side of architecture. It could offer a real solution for a very striking problem in western cities (not to mention the huge problem in some under-developed countries in which there are not even private restrooms).
