‘….to cross a desert and enter a space around a courtyard is a pleasure beyond mere photogenic image making; it is the quality of light, and the ambience of moving air, that forms the essence of our experience. Architecture as a mechanism for dealing with the elements (truly, a machine for living).
Traditionally, courtyards have always been an integral part of our homes and public buildings not only in India but across the globe. May it be the small courtyard houses in Kerala or The Court of the Lions in Alhambra in Spain or The Chinese courtyard houses in Beijing. Whenever there is a space around a courtyard, may be in steel, stone, wood or concrete it always works. It is a form of architecture that works climatically, varies with scale and serves as a space that contains various activities rite from waiting to siting and celebrating.
The design of the toilet has been conceptualized around a courtyard for two reasons. One to express the idea of a courtyard to bring in lot of sunlight that acts as a natural disinfectant, a space for hot air and foul smell to escape and the sunlight bounces off from the court and lits the surrounding spaces improving day lighting conditions. Secondly to contain the floating population during rush hours.
The plan is totally governed by the location of the open to sky courtyard where one sees a papaya tree flanked by natural light. This image plays with the psyche of the user so one feels at ease before entering the complex. As one enters the complex, to the extreme right is the handicap toilet which is accessed by a separate ramp. Next to the ramp is an attendant’s desk defined by a niche built in perforated screen. To the right of the desk is a passage that leads to the women’s toilet with three units for toilet measuring 3’ x 4’ each and one unit for nursing station measures 4’ x 5’ which can be alternatively used as changing cum feeding room. A total of 12 urinals for men are grouped around the open to sky courtyard as the floating male population for urinals is very high and the courtyard works very well to contain the spill over crowd. Further through the courtyard a passage leads to the back of the urinals to three units for male toilets each measuring 3’ x 4’.