Bathrooms in the home continue to change as new products are introduced to the market, new standards have an impact on energy and water consumption, and people change in their abilities, preferences, and desires. Therefore this course needs to be updated periodically and that is what the National Kitchen and Bath Association has undertaken. Some of the changes include expanded information on sustainability and environmental issues and more information about universal design, including applications for a variety of users. To put the subject of bathroom planning into perspective, in Lesson 1 we included information on historical and consumer trends, and research on bath design and planning. In Lesson 2 we continued with information on the infrastructure of the home, in order to point out things to consider before the design process begins. The expanded Lesson 3 on environmental concerns includes new information on building “green” and conserving water.
We next approached the design of the bathroom with the understanding that a key component to any designed space is the user, so in Lesson 4 we discuss universal design and ergonomics. Gathering information about the client and their home is a key first step to pulling things together and planning a great bathroom. This is presented in Lesson 5, with sample needs assessment forms provided to assist in that process.
Lesson 6 covers bathroom planning principles and presents each of the NKBA Bathroom Planning Guidelines within the context of a step-by-step consideration of the tasks and activities that occur in the various centers of the bathroom. Diagrams and illustrations help explain these basics. Lesson 7, on mechanical planning, continues to highlight some of the technical planning requirements related to systems in the bathroom.
An expanded Lesson 8 on universal design and accessible design provides an in-depth look at the NKBA Bathroom Access Standards and discusses how they can be incorporated into designs, when required by the client. In Lesson 9 we provided ideas for designing spaces related to bathrooms, such as closets, laundries, exercise areas and home spas. Finally, in Lesson 10 we walk through the process of developing the bathroom plan, based on client needs and planning guidelines.
We organized and presented this course as if we were talking to a new bathroom designer, just starting a career. At the same time, we offered information, ideas, suggestions and tips of use to the more experienced designer. We firmly believe we can all learn something new—as we certainly did in revising this course! We assumed our readers have little knowledge of, or background in, bathroom design.
We have included many drawings, diagrams and dimensioned plans to aid you in understanding the concepts presented. We have added and updated photographs to show how the content is integrated into “real life” settings and to spark ideas of your own.
There are many worksheets and checklists to use in your work and with your clients. Feel free to use them as is or to adapt them to be useful to you.
Our goal and hope continues to be that this course will help you to be a better designer—more creative and more knowledgeable.
Enjoy design and making people comfortable and safe in their homes!
