THE TOILET MANIFESTO
Typological Investigations in Public Sanitation
The sanitation infrastructure in our cities and villages are always imagined as engineering systems. The Toilet Manifesto initiates a new discussion on nature of infrastructure, where they are not only problem solving solutions but are holistic public spaces integrated in everyday lives of people. It sets up a holistic design framework through which architecture of public toilets could be integrated with its community and environment.
In the first phase, the Manifesto sets out a holistic framework of all parameters necessary for a functioning of public toilet such as sanitation technology, recycling systems, construction method, affordability, maintenance model, operational & maintenance cost, delivery model etc. This framework is designed for the agencies involved in the construction of the public toilets such as government organisations, NGOs, CBOs or CSR Departments. The agencies can select the appropriate parameters from the framework and accordingly identify an appropriate ‘Sanitation Typology’ for their project.
To demonstrate the framework further, the Project develops futuristic imaginations of ten types of public toilets for the cities and villages of India. The Design attempts to create architectural typologies that are socially sustainable and are integrated in everyday of people. Through careful selection of hybrid program, technology, structural system and materials, the architecture initiates a dialogue with the surrounding community. The union of public toilets with another program, can help to blur the social stigma attached with public toilets. The Design is used as a medium to transform these mundane programs of everyday into holistic experiences that offer a good quality of life to all the citizens.