Special to GTA Construction News
Winners and runners-up have been announced in a design competition focused on Toronto’s public washroom shortage, which has worsened since 2021 due to pandemic restrictions on maintenance and access to public and private facilities.
“Despite the necessity of public washrooms, Toronto has a severe shortage, leaving many residents — particularly unhoused individuals, gig workers, families and people with disabilities — without access to this fundamental urban infrastructure,” said Car Martin, lead architect at Cyan Station Architecture and a competition co-host.
Dedicated to creating architecture that contributes to urban environments, the firm is based in Toronto’s Parkdale neighborhood, the site for installation of the winning design.
The Toronto Public Space Committee, a volunteer advocacy group, organized the global competition known as TO the Loo! that invited architects and urban planners to propose sustainable, safe and cost-effective single and multi-use public washroom designs. Winners were announced last month.
“This competition has brought forward incredible solutions to a pressing urban issue,” Martin added in a statement.
Submissions were judged by a panel of expert jurors and an exhibition showcasing all entries is on display at 401 Richmond St. in Toronto until the end of August.
Winner:
- Design Partners in Architecture and Interiors (DPAI) – Hamilton
- Alea Reid and Petra Matar
- Submission Title: Mycomorph: Modular Scalar Washrooms for Toronto’s Green Spaces
Runner-up:
- YIMBY studio – Toronto
- Matt Hagen
- Submission Title: Loopty Loo
Runner-up:
- Hugh Broughton Architects – U.K.
- Hugh Broughton, Steve McCloy, Luca Rendina, Fergus Seccombe, Emma Watson
- Submission Title: The Toronto Toilet
People’s Choice Award:
- Nitesh Salwan and Lauren Randall – Toronto
- Submission Title: In Passing
The top three competition winners will receive a cash award and have their work published in Toronto’s Spacing Magazine.
The Public Space Committee said the COVID-19 lockdown highlighted how vulnerable segments of society have been disadvantaged by the lack of a robust washroom network in Toronto. In recognition of this, Toronto city council in March adopted a motion to examine the city’s public washroom assets and to consider innovative designs.
The competition asked contributors to submit detailed proposals that considered accessibility, sustainability, and cultural requirements and that could be adapted throughout the city.
Matar and Reid, experienced in public washroom design, created a cost-effective all-concrete structure with an epoxy-coated interior for easy cleaning.
The space incorporates elements including green roofs and biodiverse panels and curved surfaces to open sight lines for safety along with “sound art” in the corridor to provide a measure of comfort and privacy.
