Summary: The City of Chattanooga hired our team to refurbish the Aquarium Plaza's only bathroom facilities and upgrade them with long-lasting materials that won't fall out of fashion -- all while keeping a low budget. We used grand entries and smart materials to achieve their goals.
Background
The Tennessee Aquarium Plaza was in need of updating its bathroom facilities. They hadn't been updated since 1992, and the finishes and fixtures had deteriorated. The men's room lacked a baby changing station, and dads were forced to enter the ladies' room to change their child. The City of Chattanooga hired our team to refurbish the facilities. These were their stated goals:
- Materials needed to be both durable and timeless (in order to age well)
- The project budget needed to be kept affordable
- The existing vestibule needed to be enclosed
Grand Entry
Located immediately adjacent to the Aquarium, it was important to create a beautiful entrance for the restrooms and a good first impression for visitors to Chattanooga. We designed 10' tall entryways and ornamented them with gorgeous all-wood doors and oversized stainless steel pulls.
Airblade Faucets
One of our favorite pieces of equipment that we sourced for this project are the Dyson Airblade Wash+Dry faucets. To wash, water comes out of the central line; then, to dry, air, powered at 331 mph, comes out of the sides. Since you're drying your hands directly over the sink, minimal water splashes on the walls or falls onto the floor. That reduces wear-and-tear and necessary maintenance on the restroom finishes.
Changing Stations
The women's restroom already had a changing station in it -- a simple concrete slab in the corner. We replaced with Corian, a composite plastic so durable that damage can be buffed away.
