Get Wet

[More Images]

RELATED ARTICLES: First images of new Armani Roca bathroom released | The Middle East's five best green buildings | Architectural hardware suppliers you should know

Despite the downturn, options abound for architects in the world of bathroom design.

With sleek black marble and glass, low lighting and modern, minimalist design, it is difficult not to find the new breed of bathrooms emerging from the design industry giants compelling.

But with developers and designers far more conscious of cash-flow and financial uncertainty still looming, the most functional room in the house seems an obvious place to shave a few numbers off the bottom line.

Guy Wilson, head of the Gulf region at Geberit, acknowledges that the financial downturn has led to cost cutting among many Middle Eastern buyers, but by the same token, it has led to a greater emphasis on quality. Customers are now, more than ever, keen to ensure they are getting their money’s worth.

“There has been a move towards cost cutting on many projects, and in some cases this has directly affected the design and product selection in bathrooms,” said Wilson.

“But there is also some movement towards placing greater emphasis on the quality of bathrooms and kitchens. We see that in all but the really low budget developments a reasonable standard has been maintained throughout the region.”

Market uncertainty aside, there has been a significant change in attitudes towards bathrooms in recent years, and this is reflected by the increasing number of major firms that moved to the Middle East on the heels of the region’s construction boom.

Christian Meyer, at, explains that while 20 years ago architects may not have paid much attention to bathrooms when designing a project, clients now expect more from their facilities – far from being cut off, or segregated from living space, bathrooms have become an extension of it.

“The bathroom design is a key factor customers are looking for because it can enhance a building’s style and architecture. In great buildings, the bathroom design is not accidental, architects work in collaboration with interior designers and think about the best possible solution for the bathroom,” he said.

Designing bathrooms for a Middle Eastern market, explains Wilson, is not very different from in Europe or the US, except in terms of who the company is dealing with. While in the West, designers are usually catering to the demands of the end user, the project driven nature of the Gulf markets puts the decision making processes in that hands of developers and designers.

Story continues below

Advertisement

FEATURED COMMENT Please click here to comment on this article

It is essential, therefore, that designers working in the region make it easy for architects, and companies such as Geberit are doing just that. The company’s new Monolith toilet, for example, can be installed and ready for use just a few hours after purchase, this despite the fact that is cistern free.

“It can be fitted into almost any bathroom without impinging on space and is ideal for the retrofit market as it conceals marks from previous floor-standing pans and there is no need for any complex plumbing alterations,” said Wilson.

It is not just behind the plasterboard where technology is having an impact on bathroom design.

Technology has come a long way in recent years, and designers have used it to their advantage.

Duvarit incorporate a range of technological aspects into their modern designs, and the role of lighting has grown alongside the availability of low-energy LEDs.

“At the push of a button, the stage is set for light performances from sunny yellow via subtle red to magical blue or the entire rainbow of colours in a continuous sequence,” said Meyer.

Meanwhile, design firm Roca is launching a hi-tech version of its Khroma collection, Khroma Robot, which incorporates electronics into the china of the sanitary ware. This allows users to control the shower and bidet, open and close the toilet seat and cover and even heat up the seat and cover at the press of a button.

“Technology is really starting to permeate all products,” said David Kohler, president and COO of Kohler. “Not technology for the sake of technology, but technology that really enhances the experience and provides a different level of functionality.

“So, we have products that make your whole showering experience digital, with a system that can control light, steam and music, as well as the showering experience,” he said.

But like in every other area of modern design, sustainability has become the number one issue for bathroom designers, and all the major firms are quick to laud their green credentials. By their nature, bathrooms consume vast amounts of the Middle East’s most precious resource, and all the major firms have some up with ways of limiting that impact.

Swiss design firm Laufen point to their new water saving toilets, which flush with 4.5 and 3 litres instead of the 6 and 3 litres – in many households even 9 and 6 – of conventional WCs. Duvarit have installed similar technology into their new designs.Kohler, meanwhile, have built water saving technology into their taps. A new ceramic faucet consumes 5.8 litres of water per minute, compared to an average 8.32 litres consumed by traditional faucets.

But Geberit’s Wilson points out that water conservation is only one area in which bathroom designers can have an impact.

“Designers can contribute meaningfully to bathroom sustainability through careful selection of products from companies with proven sustainability and environmental policies,” he said.

Rivals Laufen also point to their use of sustainable materials, its designs avoid the use of tropical wood and instead opt for domestic woods sourced from sustainable forestry.

Because of their willingness to embrace both sustainability and modern technology and design, bathroom designers believe that their products will continue to be valued in the post-recession Middle East. The bar has been raised in terms of high-quality bathroom design, and buyers are unlikely to accept second best, even in the current financial climate.

“I don‘t think any modern architect underestimates the importance of the bathroom,” said Ivan Zupanovic, head of international sales at Laufen.

“The days are gone when bathrooms were merely functional side rooms for sanitary purposes. Modern bathroom design concepts give architects plenty of scope to create rooms for living and well-being.”