Toilet in a Courtyard

by Ar. Rohan Chavan

Programme: Public toilet | Location: Bandra Station Platform-1

Site area: 110 sq.m | Built Up area: 95 sq.m

‘….to cross a desert and enter a space around a courtyard is a pleasure beyond mere photogenic image making; it is the quality of light, and the ambience of moving air, that forms the essence of our experience. Architecture as a mechanism for dealing with the elements (truly, a machine for living). 

– Charles Correa

Traditionally, courtyards have always been an integral part of our homes and public buildings not only in India but across the globe. May it be the small courtyard houses in Kerala or The Court of the Lions in Alhambra in Spain or The Chinese courtyard houses in Beijing.

The design of the toilet has been conceptualized around a courtyard for two reasons. One to express the idea of a courtyard to bring in lot of sunlight that acts as a natural disinfectant, a space for hot air and foul smell to escape and the sunlight bounces off from the court and lits the surrounding spaces improving day lighting conditions. Secondly to contain the floating population during rush hours.

Overall the toilet in a courtyard tries to provide facilities to the daily commuters within a safe and climatically responsive environment. A context based prototype that blends with the traditional precinct and yet tries to evoke a contemporary voice.