MANILA, Philippines?It should not be taken for granted that everyone is looking for well-designed restrooms. This is especially true for travelers and tourists. It is not only a matter of cleanliness. Many factors depend on the design considerations.

While stopover at commercialized gas stations provides a good restroom break, we still find ourselves at the mercy of make-do public restrooms in many places, particularly in the provinces.

As a takeoff to identify what makes rest(ful) and comfort(able) rooms, we can refer to the experience in the planning and operations of the Kellogg Park South Comfort Station at San Diego, United States. It was designed in response to the desperate and urgent need to replace its original public restroom built in the 1960s.

This comfort station was highly praised by the president of the American Restroom Association. In his evaluation, this proves to be the most functional and well-designed restroom and serves as an example for municipalities.

Design highlights

Its design highlights are as follows:

? Well-lighted and ventilated. Let the sun come in by minimizing exterior partitions. It is more hygienic for wet areas to be warmed and illuminated by the sun. This will avoid the growth of molds. It is also much more pleasant to be queuing in an uncongested space and appreciate the outdoors during the waiting time. This also resulted to smaller building area.

The partitions of Kellogg comfort station are limited to the water closet cubicles and storage. The lavatory and queuing area are oriented outdoors providing much comfortable space and allowing air breeze. With sufficient roofing protection, this layout is still functional during the rainy days.

In doing so, electrical consumption would not even be necessary during daytime, thereby resulting to economical utility cost.

One major advantage for this setup is security. Crime is deterred since there is visibility of the users and activities.

? Accessible for maintenance. Despite all posted reminders to public users, the facilities should be ready to accommodate the users' worst neglect. There was a time when a public restroom in one gasoline station along South Luzon Expressway had to be closed for almost a week in order to repair the clogged pipes. The cause was not easily traced resulting to the need to dig into the embedded sewer pipes. This disrupted the normal operation of the establishment, resulting to repair expense and even affecting business potentials and customer satisfaction.

In Kellogg Park Comfort Station, a pipe chase passageway was provided in between two lines of water closet cubicles for ease in repairs and maintenance. This eliminated the chances of excavation works and the ease in access facilitated prompt servicing.

? Providing unisex and family-friendly facility. This facilitates that parents and guardians are able to accompany toddlers or older people in the use of the restrooms without worrying to be at particular gendered areas.

? Good selection of materials. Choose compact and heavy duty materials that will be durable with frequent and even harsh usage.

In Kellogg, anti-graffiti walls with special coating were used in order to discourage vandalism. Fiberglass reinforced plastics with kick plates were used for durability and rust-free. Heavy-duty hardwares and accessories should be selected to minimize need for replacement.

Hands-free fixtures are commendable. Foot-operated water closet and lavatory faucets (similar to drinking fountain foot mechanism) are the safest way to keep our hands clean and free from contacts to these public fixtures.

? Added features. A friend of mine appreciated the detail of having pipe-in music at the restrooms of UA&P in Pasig. This "treat" makes the short breaks very much appreciated.

Featuring themed displays can also be educational and make waiting period seem shorter than it may actually be. It can take advantage of displaying the cultural pride of the restroom's respective location. This is especially true in provincial and tourist spots.

In encouraging a more outdoor exposure, lush landscaping should be integrated in the design. This is also one factor that makes the Kellogg Park Comfort Station a commendable example.

Recommendation to government

Investing on well-designed and well-maintained restrooms contribute to a good tourism. Local governments can do a lot in promoting this advocacy. Competitions can even be initiated to award well-designed and well-maintained restrooms and the public will vote for the winners.

The Kellogg Park South Comfort Station prides itself to be "cost-efficient to build and built to stay that way." It proves that we can achieve great value for the invested money.

Undoubtedly, we will all look for a good restroom wherever we go. Won't it be a wise move to invest on well-designed rest(ful) rooms?