Portland City staff helped us design the Portland Loo, specifically to keep the city clean and discourage the kind of crime and damage that has occurred in many other public restrooms. One of the things that the staff helped us with was recommending plumbing and building components that are commonly used by cities – so they’re easy to find or upgrade. We also made sure that many parts are interchangeable if damaged or needing updates – so we’re continually working with Portland Parks and Recreation staff, and other clients from around the globe, to get ideas on how to improve on some of the features. Here are some of the upgrades or modifications we’ve made available to the Portland Loo already:
Steel Wall Panels
The wall panels are made from heavy-gauge stainless steel, which have a graffiti-proof coating, also making them easy to clean with a hose. They are strong -yet lightweight – and built to be replaceable if there is some sort of damage to them. However, they’ve been so indestructible, that we haven’t needed to replace a single one yet!!
Flush Handle
We had some issues with the original flush handle, so we’ve changed that out to make it better! There’s also been revisions to the towel dispenser, toilet paper product, and other small components of the Loo.
Baby Changing Table
Because the Portland Loo is built for single use, it’s naturally gender-neutral and big enough to allow for one or both parents to accompany their children to the restroom. We quickly realized the need for diaper changing stations and think it’s great that dads of all genders now have access to them too – which is usually only found in women’s restrooms.
Toilet Water Temp
When we installed a Portland Loo in Smithers, Canada, they were concerned about being able to flush the toilet in their extremely cold climate, which can reach -25 to -30 degrees Celsius! They worked with our team to make the small modification of putting a wire in the toilet to keep the water from freezing, so that it could operate and stay usable for as many days in the winter as possible.
Door Locks
The Portland Loo is designed to be open 24/7, but some cities or organizations need the option to lock the door at certain times in the evening. We’ve been able to accommodate these requests with locks that have automatic electric strikes, so that they can lock them offsite, without needing to come to the Loo location to manually lock it.
ADA Requirements
When we were in the approval process with the city of Emeryville, California, the Loo’s standard door size wasn’t meeting their ADA requirements, so they asked us to redesign the door and handle for them. We were able to make a custom door to meet the code so that they could install the Loo to meet the city code.
As you can see, we’re able to make various custom adjustments for the Loo, while the primary design and concept has proven to work well over the past decade. And, whenever city staff or a client comes up with the idea that led to an improvement or upgrade, we pay them a commission. We’ll also use their name in references if applicable and follow all trademark laws properly too! The Portland Loo is a great bathroom solution for any city or organization – if you’re looking for a standalone bathroom solution that will reduce crime and waste, contact us for more details and pricing.
