Award

OCTOBER 2018 | 5 PERSPECTIVE O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 | V O L U M E 3 2 | N U M B E R 5 PUBLISHER Dan Chapman    dchapman @ canadawide.com 604.473.0316 EDITOR Natalie Bruckner-Menchelli  nbmenchelli @ canadawide.com ART DIRECTOR Scott Laurie  slaurie @ canadawide.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Robin Brunet Laurie Jones   Stacey McLachlan   Susan Pederson   Martha Uniacke Breen   Zuzanna Wodzynska PRODUCTION MANAGER Kristina Borys PRODUCTION SUPPORT TECHNICIAN Ina Bowerbank ACCOUNT MANAGER Alexander Sugden    asugden @ canadawide.com ADVERTISING DESIGN + COORDINATION Allie Davison    adavison @ canadawide.com SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES 604.299.2116    1.800.663.0518 CHAIRMAN, CEO Peter Legge, obc, lld. 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Publications Mail Agreement No. 40065475. © 2012. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Award is distributed to architects, interior designers, landscape architects, consulting engineers, specification writers, development companies and major construction companies throughout Western Canada and Ontario. For subscription information call 604.299.1023 or email: subscriptions@canadawide.com National Library No. ISSN 1202-5925. Printed in Canada by Transcontinental LGM Graphics. Award magazine welcomes your letters, corporate announcements or company information. The statements, opinions and points of view expressed in articles published in this magazine are those of the authors and publication shall not be deemed to mean that they are necessarily those of the publisher, editor or Canada Wide Media Limited. The acceptance and publication of advertisement of products and services does not indicate endorsement of such products or services. The publishers cannot be held responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. by CLAIRE COWLING, aaa, mraic T hough gender has been traditionally related to sex, spe- cifically the organs related to sex, the concept of gender and the language surrounding it has evolved to represent a state of being; it is focused on one's self-identification. This language though, remains problematic, as identifica- tion is usually only required when a peculiarity surfaces in a social context. On a broad scope, the LBGTQ community has raised equality and human rights issues to challenge the binary view of gender. One small part of this movement includes the provision of gender-neu- tral washrooms in public buildings – a topic that has gained media attention all over the world. Public washrooms have been typically provided for people based on sex organs. Now that it is becoming more common for persons to express their gender, sexed washrooms can make users uncomfortable. Individuals are forced to choose a washroom based on a door sign that places them in one of two categories, beginning as early as primary school. In most public facilities, this division is used to justify the design of less private water closets. As architects, we can challenge this archetype of washroom design to make gender irrelevant to wash- room use. With a small adjustment to the built environment, we can inch closer to the goal of a more inclusive society. In schools, gen- der-neutral washrooms could provide an increase in privacy for all students and decrease discrimination based on gender. The Government of Alberta's education ministry is reacting to the growing demand for gender-inclusive facilities and practices. Section 2 of the 2016 Guidelines for Best Practice (respecting an indi- vidual's right to self-identification) indicates that an individual can choose their name and pronoun. Section 7 (providing safe access to washroom and change-room facilities) outlines the rights to "accom- modation when it comes to the use of washroom and change-room facilities that are congruent with their gender identities." Provinces across the country have published similar docu- ments. These statements support accommodation of students in the existing sexed facilities in public buildings. Encouraging safe environments is part of a larger movement toward acceptance of diversity in our society. What this means for new builds is the evolution of the school archetype in Canada. In Alberta, this archetype has been greatly influenced by the Alberta Infrastructure P3 procurement initiative that included 40 schools, all completed by 2014. The student wash- rooms seen in this generation of Alberta schools are typically the open-concept, grouped, multi-user, gender-organized washrooms with sometimes-shared sinks and metal-partitioned toilets. I hesitate to use the term stalls here, as these spaces are not very private. Gang-style washrooms meet the requirements of the Building Code by hiding toilets from view while still allowing a degree of supervision by school staff for safety reasons. As a result, children transition from using household wash- rooms, which are inherently gender-neutral, and family change rooms in facilities such as public pools, to washrooms where they must pick a side and share spaces with other students, often of a different age. Gender-neutral washroom stalls starting in kinder- garten would be an easier shift for students and remove gender from washrooms altogether. An alternative is emerging in new schools across Canada. School boards and design teams are moving forward with individual stalls with full-height doors for everyone to use, students and staff alike, instead of grouped washrooms with metal partitions. This design entitles every person to more privacy. For example, a new build currently under construction in the Town of Morinville in Alberta, designed by Group2, similarly deals with change rooms; all students share an area with small lockers and benches for changing shoes. This change area is visible from the gym and adjacent corridor. Should students wish to change clothes, full-height, lockable stalls and two washrooms are provided at the perimeter of the space. The stall doors are not equipped with automatic closers; rooms with closed doors are understood to be occupied, and the gap under the doors provides sufficient visibility for supervision. Many school divisions across the country are also renovating exist- ing schools to incorporate full-height washroom stalls. These design solutions demonstrate that new buildings can be designed with privacy for all, potentially eliminating some of the bul- lying that is associated with perceived diversity. Why should a toilet (which is inherently genderless) hold so much power over an individ- ual, regardless of how they see the world or the world sees them? As design professionals, we are obligated to educate clients and the public and put forward ideas that can promote change and increase the safety and comfort of our clients, building users, and communities. A Claire Cowling is an architect at Group2, an award-winning firm with studios in Red Deer, Calgary, Edmonton, and Saskatoon. The Ungendered Toilet

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