The project was to create a washroom block of 1100 sq.ft. floor area on a 4.5 acre land. And the idea we took upon was to subtly provide a luxurious feel, but also blending into the vast landscape around it. The material palette thus became greys with wood and brass put together with greenery. The block was ideally planned at a location with least interruptions to the existing & any further phase developments of the land.
Project Name: Grey-Green Washroom
Project Type: Public Washroom
Architecture Firm: Ajay Nirmal Architects
Firm Location: New Delhi, India
Firm Instagram: ajaynirmal_architects
Principal Architect: Ajay Nirmal
Completion Year: 2021
Built-up Area: 1100 sq.ft.
Project Location: New Delhi, India
Clients: Mr. Arora
Consultants:
Structural Consultants: NNC Design International
Plumbing Consultants: Tech Consultancy Services & S.D. Marker co.
Electrical Consultants: VR Consulting Engineers
HVAC Consultants: Dyna Aircon
Landscape Consultants: The Happy Bench
Decorative Lights: Emanate Lighting
Photography: Vibhor Yadav
The exterior façade is kept minimal with an off-white texture paint on all sides and an entry defined with a large projection extending over the plinth stairs and a full height wooden double door. The steps are finished with white stone and brass inlay work. On both sides of the entry are sitting benches which seem to cantilever from the wall and rests on a planter box on the other end, made out of MS framework and clad with tiles. Above the sitting, on both sides are thin brass inlay frames with a custom designed light fixtures on it.
As the visitor enters into the block, it is divided into 4 zones, an Entry foyer, a Ladies washroom, Gents washroom and a Universal washroom.
The welcoming entry foyer is a large corridor with a waiting area opening up to the washrooms. Right on the front, one sees a green wall and Areca Palm planters wrapped around with white stone creating an indifferent sense to the landscape outside. The side walls are clad with grey stony textured tiles with a white footer and vertical brass inlay strips. The doors of the individual washrooms are made of solid wood with walnut finish and has fluted glass in the center to blur the view yet creating some visual connection. The flooring is a combination of grey, white and patterned wooden tiles with brass inlay work.
The ladies and gents washrooms have a large floating island counter in the center with vanity storage below it. The counter has washbasins on both sides and large brass framed ceiling hanging mirrors in the center. In the ladies washroom, there is a dressing area and a changing station separately provisioned along the island counter. The individual WC cabins inside both zones have wooden louvered doors and windows for its light and ventilation.
Planter boxers have also been custom designed and incorporated with tiles and brass frames in the center of the counter and above the mirror to add color and freshness into the rooms. Indoor white peace lilies have been used on the counter and the boxes above mirror have Vining Philodendrons which give a great fall around it. The walls of the washrooms have been clad with grey tiles with brass and white strips on three sides and one wall has a louvered tile as the highlight element creating a play of subtle shadows.
The flooring has a diagonal layout of tiles with wooden and brass bordering to it. Also, the rooms have Ficus Lyrata and Radermachera planters to contrast with the grey walls to create a sense of lushness inside. The furniture and the theme paintings add a minimal pop of color to the walls.
The washroom has been visualized in total with a lot of green plants to compliment the minimal grey tones and wood.
