The Wall Box - Roca

A similar access to the box for able-bodied and disabled people Today, requirements in terms of PRM accessibility are consuming spaces without generating architectural quality. This issue must be explored because it is significantly influential in housing design. We suggest a solution for little spaces suitable for able-bodied and disabled people, and propose the same comfort for everyone. Every height is adjusted for PRM accessibility and contributes to an original design that reveals the graphic potential of the bathroom. Maneuvering area for disabled people was the first question: we decided to share this area with that of the bedroom or main room in a studio-flat. It also makes it possible to always have natural light and ventilation in the bathroom. A graphic furniture The design is based on the idea of a continuous line which creates a minimal design drawing. This line is the support of each box functions. When the box is closed, it is just a drawing on the wall; when it is used it becomes a section of the bathroom. Right angles are limited by the design: the box is easy to clean. The space is optimized, the bathroom highlighted. The Box plays with the wall thickness which is perceived differently whether the glass doors are transparent or opaque, open or closed. Each technical element is integrated to be as discreet as possible. We can imagine that the wall box is part of a system to which other modules could be added: toilets, kitchen or wardrobe. Technical aspects The box is more an item of furniture than a room. It contains all the equipments needed in a bathroom but in a reduced space: bathtub, shower, sink, storage units and doors to preserve privacy and limit splashing. Users can change the opacity thanks to an electric control. Glass doors can be transparent or opaque, using a technology which encapsulates a film with liquid crystal molecules between two glazings. Natural light can still filter through the glass. The bathtub is closed by a low glass panel and the shower by the glass door. A drawer can be used as a step to enter the shower. The bottom of the bathtub is 40cm above the floor to facilitate the transfer of a disabled person from wheelchair. To get out of the bathtub, the grab bar which is integrated in the wall can be used. The purpose is to make every sign of PRM accessibility as discreet as possible and to increase everyone’s comfort at the same time. The vertical back wall of the box is a technical part where all machines are set. The ribbon is perforated by numerous holes for water, light and air for the whirlpool bath and for drying the box.