The Shared Bathroom is a special bathroom used to care for the underprivileged. My client is an underprivileged woman from Jilin, China, who works in the labour market in cramped, simple housing and has to use cold water to rub her body as a way of bathing, and the core of the project is to design a multi-purpose natural bathroom for her and her roommate.
The core concept of the project was to create a multifunctional bathroom that combines relaxation and bathing and is used by multiple people. I therefore set up four main spaces, a standing bath area, a steam room area, a relaxation area and a dressing area. In the standing bath area, I designed a circular bath cage，which is fitted with a water-saving shower head and floor mats that regulate the water temperature so that when people step on the different switches on the mats, they can adjust the water temperature to their liking. it also provide some cover and to protect the privacy of the client. In the grooming area I have installed hanging chairs so that people can sit on them to dry off and relax after bathing.
The sweat room is made of bamboo panels with nodes, which have a smooth skin and no wood thorns, and are thermostatically controlled. The warm colours are soothing and the huge windows allow people to enjoy the view of the interiors as they sweat.
In the entertainment area, I have deliberately set up a pool area with a water temperature of 29° and below. Rock cladding made of wood glue and foam covers the walls that surround the pool, simulating the environment of a hot spring in nature and giving the enjoyment of a soak.
In the window area, I used a single side of frosted glass so that people on the outside could not see the interior, but those in the bathroom could enjoy the view outside, and the bathroom was located on the third floor, so there was no need to worry about privacy exposure.
During this project, I learnt a lot of classic examples of bathroom design and also learned a lot about architectural design, which enriched my interior design experience and gave me a clearer plan in my head for the next time I design such a project.