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Tvarit: Toilet For All

Khushi Lothe & Keshav Agrawal
India

‘Tvarit’ that translates to ‘urgent’ in Marathi is a public toilet design project that aims to cater some of the urgent needs of a user. The edifice is proposed to be made near the Ganga Ghat of Nashik city in Maharashtra, India. The place, being an important pilgrimage centre, has a footfall of almost 500 people on a normal day in the vicinity. The site chosen is a corner plot with access from two sides, one near the Ganga ghat towards the North-East and the other that is adjacent to Gautam Lake in the southern side. Due to the lack of Public Toilets around this area, an edifice of such kind was the need of the hour given the current conditions of sanitation. Along with this a need for a drinking water dispenser and an ATM machine was felt in this space and thus, the building serves multiple functions. The project also proposes a system where the edifice can have a greener footprint with minimal harm to the environment and at the same time also become an economic generator. A bio-digester tank is proposed that converts human waste to water and methane gas which can later be channelized and reused. Thus, the reused water can be used for flushes and for landscape irrigation. Apart from this, Installation of solar panel would not only help in having a self-sufficient electrical dependency but also contribute to the electrical grid, thus reducing the maintenance cost. The introduction of ATM machines and advertisement billboards will also act as financial generators that can contribute to maintenance costs. The edifice also responds well to the climatological context with maximum use of diffused natural light through northlight truss and natural ventilation through jail walls while keeping the privacy intact. The provision of ramps, double sway doors, dedicated toilets for specially-abled, low toilets for kids etc... are the evidence of the inclusivity factor of this design. The edifice is open from two sides with efficient circulation and open access to all services. Within the washrooms (separate for men and women) the cubicles have the option of Orissa Pan or the Indian type as well as the Western WC facility. An innovative design approach was adopted to design the space for urination for men instead of the typical urinals which are not only expensive but also difficult to maintain. The toilets are also equipped with sensor taps, paddle dustbins, sanitary pad dispensers, water-efficient flushes, hand dryers etc. An open Wi-Fi facility is proposed in the Waiting Area. The Overhead Water Tanks are placed above the ATM and Water Dispenser Kiosks. The material palette is minimalist and locally available to reduce the cost as well as compliment the surrounding architectural character. Exposed Brick work, Exposed or Polished Concrete works and Steel trusses can be observed in the edifice. The truss space not only helped in the bringing light from the north and place solar panels towards south but also caters to the heavy rainfall that Nashik Experiences. Different dustbin types are placed to promote waste segregation and its proper disposal. Moreover, the edifice is a good example of a module that can be repeated on different sites and surrounding contexts with fewer changes. Tvarit promotes a clean and usable public space for sanitation under the National mission of Swachh Bharat.

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