Why so many washrooms

[M.R.Victor]

Perhaps you won't take this question seriously, but whenever I am looking at floor plans for new condominiums (although this is also true for a lot of newer houses) I can't help but wonder why there is so much space dedicated to providing so many washrooms. Given the already-constrained dimensions of condominium units, wouldn't it make sense to provide more room for actual living space, rather than superfluous amenities. More often than not I see more washrooms than bedrooms. On top of that, I find space dedicated to walk-in-closets, for example, to be tremendously wasteful. All of this comes at the expense of well designed, well proportioned living spaces.

Take this plan for example, which is a million-dollar, 3 bedroom penthouse in 10 york:

3 washrooms and a walk-in-closed for a 3 bedroom unit, which results in a tiny linear kitchen, small bedrooms, and tons of awkward, unusable hallway spaces. It seems highly counter-intuitive.

Do you guys see this changing anytime in the future?

 

[urbandreamer]

I overheard an interesting conversation which may explain their popularity. A bunch of students were talking about their living arrangements. They were saying they rent a brand new one bedroom Bay Street condo for $1600 a month. Number of students living in this one bedroom unit? Four.

 

[taal]

I live in a 770 square foot condo, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms ... I love the fact their are two bathrooms ! (only 2 people live here ... but still).

You say living space is important, but now much time do you spend in the bathroom ! Think about it.

 

[gabe]

Ever been to a party at someones house with one bathroom? There is always that one guy who's in there for like half an hour. 2 bathrooms or 1 bath plus powder room (half bath) is pretty much an necessity, especially in the mornings if both couples are getting ready for work.

 

[M.R.Victor]

I understand the convenience factor. However, (perhaps given my penchant for living in older buildings) I've always lived in appartments with a single washroom, whether I lived alone or otherwise. The inconvenience of having to wait my turn was easily mediated by some sort of schedule or mutual agreement. Waiting in line at a party is a nuisance, I agree, but then again it also doesn't seem like the end of the world. Perhaps this is where my question was leading, namely, is it wise to cater new construction to convenience. How big a factor is convenience in our consumer culture, and is that a good thing? I feel that this particular convenience is not worth its price.

 

[000]

plain and simple, I don't like sharing. bathrooms get dirty, and it's a lot easier to handle my own mess than someone else's.

 

[nfitz]

Ever been to a party at someones house with one bathroom? There is always that one guy who's in there for like half an hour. 2 bathrooms or 1 bath plus powder room (half bath) is pretty much an necessity, especially in the mornings if both couples are getting ready for work.

Who designs a small living space to deal with the occasional party?

And what kind of disfunctional couple can't share a bathroom?

I'd sooner a bigger kitchen than a second bathroom.

 

[Bloor West Villager]

Many 3-bedroom single family homes have only 1 bathroom in their original floorplans. Not sure why condos would be different, but perhaps this is a reflection of changing lifestyles, as people tend to add bathrooms when renovating and newer suburban homes have a higher bathroom to bedroom ratio. But I agree, when there's limited square footage to work with, numerous bathrooms seem wasteful.

 

[diminutive]

I've seen some floorplans and demo units (usually 1 bedroom...) which have washrooms accessible from both the bedroom and the living area.

That seemed like a good compromise in that you only need one bathroom, but can configure it to be more or less public.

On the other hand, I hate units where the bedroom and washroom are at opposite ends of the unit, forcing you to schlep across the entire damn thing everytime you have a shower.

 

[cdr108]

Many 3-bedroom single family homes have only 1 bathroom in their original floorplans. Not sure why condos would be different, but perhaps this is a reflection of changing lifestyles, as people tend to add bathrooms when renovating and newer suburban homes have a higher bathroom to bedroom ratio. But I agree, when there's limited square footage to work with, numerous bathrooms seem wasteful.

very true ... i was going to say the same.

anyone who's 40+ years old probably grew up in a household with only 1 bath.
OMG, how horrible that was to have to SHARE with others

I've seen some floorplans and demo units (usually 1 bedroom...) which have washrooms accessible from both the bedroom and the living area.

That seemed like a good compromise in that you only need one bathroom, but can configure it to be more or less public.

On the other hand, I hate units where the bedroom and washroom are at opposite ends of the unit, forcing you to schlep across the entire damn thing everytime you have a shower.

considering most 1 bedroom units range from 450-550 sq ft (that's builder's measurement and not actual usable space), walking from a bedroom to washroom is probably no more than 25 feet.

 

[gabe]

very true ... i was going to say the same.

anyone who's 40+ years old probably grew up in a household with only 1 bath.
OMG, how horrible that was to have to SHARE with others

I grew up in a big old house with one bathroom on the top floor. i had to climb three flights of steep stairs to get to it. I can't imagine doing that now a days.

I have been in brand new 1400 sq ft to 2500 sq ft homes with 4 and 5 bathrooms

 

[000]

As a guest in other people's homes, I'm left with a bad impression if they don't have a guest washroom/powder room near the entrance. And as an owner, I don't want guests using my private washroom with my personal belongings all over the place. Obviously the rules are different for couples. The Ten York layout is great IMO except for the odd corners. And Ten York probably have more washrooms because they expect a lot of people to be living with roommates there, it gives everybody a little extra personal space. Also as gabe said, if more than one person wakes up at the same time and are rushing to leave somewhere, not having to wait for the other person to finish their business makes all the difference.

If you want to see a layout that wastes space, look at this penthouse at River City, the terrrace is almost bigger than the living space!

 

[balenciaga]

Who designs a small living space to deal with the occasional party?

And what kind of disfunctional couple can't share a bathroom?

I'd sooner a bigger kitchen than a second bathroom.

that's exactly what came to my mind. One thinks about the need of a large party, which happens probably 2X a year, in determining what kind of apartment he buys? It is absurd.
Also agree with the sharing part. OK, no bathroom sharing, what's next, each has his/her own bedroom as well, for occasional situation (come back too late, got the flu etc)?

 

[balenciaga]

If you want to see a layout that wastes space, look at this penthouse at River City, the terrrace is almost bigger than the living space!

Terraces are over valued nowadays. How much do they really get used every year, even during the summer. Not saying it is not nice to have, but paying high premium for something you use a few times a year is not worth it.

 

[Admiral Beez]

And what kind of disfunctional couple can't share a bathroom?

I'd sooner a bigger kitchen than a second bathroom.

Many condo dwellers rarely use their ovens or much of the kitchen space. Friends of mine have a 700 sqft condo with a 3 piece ensuite and 2 piece loo near the front door. First thing they did was rip out the huge kitchen island and all the space it took