Shower in Style

As a former Philly bicycle commuter, I know the struggles of biking to work and then "bird bathing-it" in the public restroom sink. It's terrible. So, when I had the opportunity to design shower rooms for a tech client's bicycle commuters, I was ecstatic. I wanted to make sure these spaces offered everything that employees would need.

After stowing their bikes, employees can take a shower in these single occupant shower rooms. There is one accessible roll-in shower room and one standing shower room provided on each floor. The roll-in shower has multiple controls and nozzles for sitting or standing use.

We integrated lighting into the ceiling of the shower stalls to avoid the dreaded "dark shower." As I learned at public pools, dark showers are dingy, gross, and you never know what you could be touching. I wanted these stalls to be illuminated!

At the sink, we provided a wide counter space with Bobrick backlit mirrors. We added outlets so that hair dryers, shavers, etc could be plugged in and used by the sink. The counter tops are wide enough so that personal items can be used at the sink and mirror without juggling multiple items. Around the room, we installed wall hooks and benches for additional storage. Full-length mirrors cover the inner face of the entry doors.

I haven't been back to the site for a final photo (due to the pandemic), but maybe one day I can try out this space!

We matched the aesthetics of existing industrial infrastructure in the building, so our color scheme of white and black was derived from those spaces. I emphasized the sink and shower niches with black Dekton ceilings and far walls. White Walker Zanger tiles clad the other walls and floor. Tile helps the owner avoid any future moisture or wear/tear problems that might be more common with drywall.