Planning Rationale
Properly designed toilet facilities shall consider many factors such as durability, ease of maintenance, site lines, noise, safety, inclusivity and accessibility. CPS facilitates access to toilets for students, staff, parents/visitors, people with mobility issues, and those needing care-givers. It is the goal of CPS to provide accommodations to support the range of needs throughout buildings, supporting a universal approach to design and accessibility.
Design Considerations
Accessibility
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a Federal Civil Rights Law that was codified and prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities by ensuring barrier free access to all facilities. Barrier free access means that toilet room designs are responsive to a wide range of human needs and abilities. Additional information including mounting heights and diagrams can be found in the CPS Accessibility Standard Details.
Types of Toilet Facilities
- Standard Toilet Modules: These include both Student and Public Toilet Modules.
- Standard Toilet Module - Students: Primarily used by students. Shall be designed to meet child standards for Elementary Schools and adult standards in High Schools.
- Standard Toilet Module - Public: Toilet Modules located near spaces where the public would visit such as Gymnasiums, Gymnatoriums, Auditoriums, and Aquatic Centers. These Toilet Rooms can be operational for the public if the rest of the building needs to be closed. Additional features are considered at these locations to address the needs of families with young children. Shall be designed to meet adult standards.
- Standard Toilet Module - Stadium: Public toilet rooms at Stadiums require more robust and vandal resistant fixtures and finishes. These rooms typically open from the exterior of the building. Shall be designed to meet adult standards and address the needs of families with young children.
- Single User Restrooms: Single user, all gender toilet rooms included in the Standard Toilet Module and also located throughout the school not part of a Toilet Module.
- Single User Restroom/Shower Rooms: Single user, all gender toilet/shower rooms located in the Student Services Suite and Single User Accessible Locker Room.
- Wet and Dry Toilet Rooms: Locker Rooms.
Standard Toilet Modules
A Standard Toilet Module is designed for plumbing and planning efficiency. The standard block of components is intended to be stacked one above another on each floor of the building. The code required building fixture counts are based on the overall building occupancy with a proportionate quantity of fixtures provided near large assembly spaces and the remainder shall be distributed throughout the school.
- Standard Toilet Modules shall include:
- Standard Stalls: Multiple Stall Toilet Rooms, separated male and female.
- Personal Care Stall (PCS): Provide (1) in each Multiple Stall Toilet Room. Each PCS to be accessible and includes a water closet, single lavatory, floor drain, and infrastructure including blocking and electrical outlet for an adult changing table.
- Ambulatory Stall: An accessible stall shall be provided when there are 6 or more toilets or a combination of toilets and urinals within a toilet room.
- Single User Restrooms: Provide (2) single user, all gender, accessible restrooms.
- Hose Bibb: Provide (1) hose bibb; recessed, located on plumbing wall, vandal resistant in each Multiple Stall Toilet Room.
- Floor Drain: Provide a minimum of (1) floor drain located near Personal Care Stall below partition. Slope floor for positive drainage.
- Baby Changing Station: Provide baby changing stations in each Multiple Stall Toilet Rooms in Public and Stadium Standard Toilet Modules.
- Sharps Disposal: Verify with Principal and School Nurse. If required, provide wall mounted tamper resistant sharps disposal containers in Personal Care Stalls within the Multi Stall Toilet Rooms and/or Single User Restrooms to service the independent students. Quantity of locations to be determined by Principal and School Nurse dependent on the needs of the student population.
- Access and Entry
- Multiple Stall Toilet Rooms shall provide separate entries from the corridor without doors, for line of site privacy, safety and supervision.
- Stadium Multiple Stall Toilet Rooms shall have separate entries with exterior doors.
- The use of color is encouraged, however, do not use pink and blue for the purpose of female/male room designation.
- Single User Restrooms and Janitors Closet, if applicable, open directly to the corridor.
- Drinking Fountains/Bottle Fillers: To be located into a niche along the corridor outside of the toilet room entrance. See below for more information.
- Fire Rating: Corridor fire rating shall surround the perimeter of the module creating a separation from program spaces.
Single User Restrooms
These Single User Restrooms provide a safe and private facility for use by a single occupant. These inclusive toilet rooms support transgender and non-binary individuals, people with disabilities, and anyone else who may require assistance.
- Single User Restrooms shall be designed to meet adult standards with the exception of the Pre-K/K Toilet Room. The Pre-K/K Toilet rooms shall be designed to meet standards of younger children. See 3.1.1 Pre-K/K.
- Provide hardware to indicate occupancy status from both the inside and outside of the Single User Restroom.
- Single User Restrooms are located throughout the school in locations including but not limited to: the Toilet Modules, Pre-K/K Classroom, Administrative Suite, Student Services Suite, Kitchen, Locker Rooms, Dressing Rooms, and Building Support Spaces.
- Provide infrastructure for an adult changing table only if a Personal Care Stall is not provided in the Multiple Stall Toilet Rooms.
Drinking Fountains/Bottle Fillers
Drinking Fountains with integral hardwired, hands-free bottle fillers shall be provided. The drinking fountain count shall be based on the code requirements.
- Elementary Schools to have (3) drinking fountains consisting of a high/low pair and one at children’s height.
- High Schools to have a pair of high/low drinking fountains.
- At each drinking fountain location provide a bottle filler to be located at the standard accessible fountain height (36” AFF from spout).
- Drinking Fountain/Bottle Filler locations include but are not limited to:
- Corridors: located inset into a niche outside the Standard Toilet Module
- Cafeteria: located inset into a niche
- Gymnasiums/Gymnatoriums: located inset into a niche
- Pre-K/K Classroom: located next to classroom sink (not counted as part of code required quantity)
- Music Classrooms: located next to classroom sink (not counted as part of code required quantity)
- Aquatic Center: located on th pool deck and in the locker rooms separated from the Toilet and Shower Zones
Solid Surface Wall Protection or Ceramic Tile and appropriate wall backing materials shall be provided behind all drinking fountain locations. Refer to Volume 3, Chapter 2.3.1 Standard Finishes.
Janitor Closets
Provide a minimum of (1) per floor, optimally located adjacent to the Toilet Rooms. Janitor Closets are also located throughout the school in other locations including but not limited to the Kitchen and Building Support Spaces.
- Provide mop basin. Must be enclosed within the Janitor’s closet.
- Provide mop rack/shelf.
- Provide OSHA required clearance for potential roof ladder and hatch access when no other feasible location is available within the building.