We all love to attend carnivals and other events in outdoor open areas, go camping, or so on, but the one comfort that we miss from back home is our toilet privileges! The invention of toilets came about as people required a safe and hygienic space to defecate, instead of doing it in the open. In 1596, the first flush toilet was invented and has been in widespread usageeven today.

Since the early ages,toilets have taken different forms from being a simple hole in the ground to chambers and now, to automated ones. While toilets fulfill a basic need, there is scope for design and variation that can be brought about in the space they are placed in, to create

Toilets and washrooms in residences receive special treatment, wherein this small space is equipped with many additional services, almost making the facility a luxury for its users.But when it comes to toilets in the public realm, efforts made to provide comfortable and efficient solutions have been lacking.

Public toilets were invented in ancient Rome as just a cluster of holes, with seats lined against a wall, where men sat and talked. These spaces were feared since they were prone to fires and rodents. Fast forward to the 1850s, during the great exhibition shows, where the concept of flush toilets was introduced and they became a commercial commodity, in the following year.

Today we have better versions of these public toilets, both single and multiple capacity. The single occupancy, portable toilets are used in large numbers, during outdoor events, in remote tourist spots, or in slum areas, where access to hygienic, city public toilets may be limited.

Portable toiletscan accommodate one person anthropometrically and are self-contained. They are functional, but its design scale is restricted due to mobility constraints, which may make the occupant feel claustrophobic and uncomfortable.

How can the design of public toilets be improved?