Ill r"!f ECT T' M Architect John Pardey Architects, Client District Council, Structural engineers Barton Engineers and I WP rice & Partners, Contractors F & S Noble and Amos Danby & Sons

Project , BROOKLEY ROAD TOTTON, LIBRARY ROAD Sited within a public car riven by a continuous strip Completed this year, Totton means of two tilted roof park, the second of the of glazing at the apex. public loo is positioned in an planes that lift to gather New Forest public loos (2003), has been Externally, the walls are awkward corner site bounded north light." located to form a type of clad in timber-stained dark by roads and a car park. The roof is clad externally gatehouse to the car park. grey, while internally, deep "The dark green render," in black zinc formed from Pardey has made an oblique blue mosaics clad the walls. says Pardey, "addresses both 850mm-thick plywood reference to Louis Kahn's When describing the the street corner with sheets, creating elegant Hurva synagogue by the way building form, Pardey says: a new modest public space, planes that float above the public toilets natural light floods the "It is slightly reminiscent and also salutes the police clerestory glazing. Internally, interior through its two of an agricultural barn station [located opposite] by timber lines the roof. Architect steeply pitched roofs. and simultaneously of John Pardey Architects Conceived as two equal an ecclesiastic form - halves - male and female - perhaps well placed Location around a central service between the sacred and New Forest, core, two zinc-clad roofs are the profane."

By Amanda Birch 200mm to 975mm. These open­ ings provide fresh air and are a These days ifyo u can avoid using natural and cheap way to ventilate a public loo, you will. In most the building and reduce smells. English towns they are forbid­ Raising it at floor level also avoids ding, smelly and frequently lack h aving to clean at skirting level, such essentials as soap and paper. which is one of the most difficult But maybe this ingrained image cleaning points in public toilets. of the much neglected public For the structure of the toilets, convenience is set to change. Ear­ Pardey collaborated with Barton lier this year, the Department of Engineers to develop and refine a Communities and Local Govern­ "kit ofparts" that can be endlessly ment published a guide aimed at repeated, resulting in a standard encouraging councils to do more 13m x 7m floor plan. This com­ to halt the decline of the great prises a hot-dipped galvanised SPIT British public loo, and to look at light steel frame, set into pad ways to provide better access and foundations and infilled with "Nearby beach huts were better quality toilets. 150mm-thick aerated concrete the catalyst for the sharp Council is blockwork. and defining roof form, one local authority that foresaw an Similarly, the palette ofin ternal together with the inspiration urgent need to overhaul its exist­ finishes - tiled walls and paving of the Australian architect ing public loos before the guide's stone floors - and fittings are Glenn Murcutt," says publication. In 2002, from a short­ generally the same, with slight Pardey. list of four local practices, it colour va1iations. Positioned in a small selected John Pardey Architects, a However, each structure takes public car park just behind IS-strong firm based in Lyming­ on its own unique appearance the shingle beach of the ton, Hampshire, to design 10 through the use of different Spit, the fourth of the public replacement public toilets. cladding materials and different loos (2005) uses a roofs that respond to individual MILFORD-ON-SEA, SEA ROAD galvanised crinkly metal Grand gesture contexts. Set in a stunning location - and rain for most of the Pardey says of its distinctive would have been at risk from roofing, while the base is Responding to the council's brief, In quite a grand gesture for facing the promenade and the year, it also has a covered aluminium gull-wing roof, the frequent high winds that clad in a light grey timber to director John Pardey wanted to such a minor public building type, sea, the third (2005) of the entrance portico and with its 3m cantilever, that it fling up pebbles from the echo the humble materials raise the image of the public loo Pardey has also injected some loos had to address its unique protective wall which is faced "remembers some of Le nearby beach, which could of the beach huts. The fully glazed gables to create a "more precious" public humour into his loos by incorpo­ seafront site, and the entrance in blue-green slate. The area Corbusier's modest houses". break the glass. Milford·on·Sea building. rating distinctive design features doors therefore open from the to the front of the wall has Polycarbonate was used on the Vandalproof uplighters are draw natural light into the He believes that if a conven­ from some of his favourite build­ seafront. But as the front is public benches, so users can section beneath the roof to integrated into the floor, and mostly white interior, which tional design approach is taken, it ings by architects including Louis exposed to prevailing winds­ sit and enjoy the views across allow in obscured natural light. this was the first public loo is clad in white mosaics. lends itselft o being vandalised, or Kahn and Glenn Murcutt. a storm with lOO-mile an hour the sea to the Pardey says he would have where covered lighting was as Pardey puts it: "If you build it winds was reported last year and the Needles. used glass in this area, but it introduced to each cubicle. like a brick shit-house, then peo­ Welcoming space ple will kick it and vandalise it': To date, loos have been built at six Taking his inspiration from the Hampshire sites: Brockenhurst, French-style open-air pissoir, , , Pardey has come up with a decep­ Totton and , and there LYMINGTON, POWLETT ROAD LYMINGTON, NEW STREET ~ frl tively simple but clever solution are plans for another in Fording­ t:< that could revolutionise the future ham. At£200,000 each , the com­ Built last year, this is Pardey's ticket machines and the new The New Street public loo was main street. The exterior walls :1: ~ design of the public convenience. pleted loos feature an automatic favourite of his loos, and the benches." the first to be built (2002), and are rendered and were painted > The single-storey structure is locking mechanism, which allows most evolved. The large Here, Pardey has seized the as a result is the least evolved a rich terracotta colour to pick ~g, z raised at slab level, creating a them to self-lock at night to pre­ horizontal expanse of the car opportunity to use clear glass of the six. up on the orange brick of the :1: vent vandalism. But it did allow Pardey his neighbouring Victorian building. SJ IOOmm-high air gap, while at roof park it sit s in was, says Pardey, panels for the clerestory, ~ first attempt at playfully However, the council has level, air gaps are also provided at The buildings require little the starting point for its strong which is held on metal clips ~ varying dimensions, ranging from maintenance and have been built horizontal roof plane clad in with open joints that overlap referencing Louis Kahn's work since painted the building an ;; G z with an 80-year design life. western red cedar. the walls to m aintain high- -in this case, Trenton Bath insipid powder blue, as it has a ::> 0 Using these loos is a real pleas­ "The roof extends out to level ventilation. House - in the use of two number of the built public loos. u pyramidal roofs clad in metal A drinking fountain of Bath i:i Pardey injected ure. When I visited, they were form a canopy," he says, The benches, also designed ~ clean, uplifting and well lit "complete with a glazed by Pardey, feature stainless standing seam, with natural sandstone has been integrated humour with spaces that provided the basic circular aperture, a joie steel sections fixed to the light gained from lanterns at into the middle of the facade. ~ essentials. Pardey h as elevated d'esprit, over the entrance middle of the iroko wood seat their apex. A loggia was Inside, blue mosaic tiles are ~ 1: features from 0 the stature of this building type which shelters the car park tops to deter skateboarders. incorporated to the front of the used for the walls, while the u to another level, creating a con­ building to provide a small internal surface of the roof is z some favourite 51 temporary, light, welcoming sheltered space visible from the clad in a warm timber. "'u ~ buildings space that is well used by all ages "' and abilities.

Daylight by Design

lf'U' are looking for value ... y Xtralite ROOFLIGHTS

ENQUIRY 11A T WWW.ENQUIRENOW.COM/BD