All Gender Restrooms: Embracing Change in the Built Environment
by Amanda Vigneau, IIDA, NCIDQ, and Christopher Hillebrand, AIA, LEED AP
As architects and designers, we face design challenges rooted in the built environment. Our collaboration with student activities professionals emphasizes the effective use of space to service, engage, and welcome all members of the campus community. Over the past decade, there has been increasing conversation around designing and providing all-gender restrooms. Understanding why providing these types of spaces matters and how building codes shape these spaces, can help student affairs professionals and architects get on the same page so campus communities can better push for what they need.
The Importance of All Gender Restrooms
Public restrooms have a long history, including segregation by sex and race, and more recent debates around LGBTQ rights. All gender restrooms are becoming a social and cultural norm for future generations. According to the 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey Report, 49% of participants sometimes avoided bathrooms due to discomfort around using them. This highlights the need for inclusive restroom facilities that provide privacy and safety for all users.
Design Considerations
When designing all gender restrooms, it is essential to consider institutional values and the reasons for their installation. Factors such as stakeholder feedback, feasibility studies, and leadership buy-in play a crucial role. The design approach will vary depending on the type of project, whether it is a building renovation or new construction. Different building types, such as student centers, classroom buildings, and office administration buildings, will have varying requirements for all gender restrooms.
Privacy, Safety, and Comfort
Privacy, safety, and comfort are paramount when designing restrooms. Visual and acoustic privacy can be enhanced by selecting locks that indicate occupancy status and using floor-to-ceiling stalls with minimal gaps. Safety considerations include designing spaces that feel secure for all users, including those who may not be comfortable with the idea of all gender restrooms. Comfort can be improved by installing mirrors in individual stalls, allowing users to groom in private.
Engagement and Language
Inclusion is about universal acceptance and understanding. Engaging stakeholders and users through various strategies—including staff responsible for maintenance and cleaning—is crucial. The language used around all gender restrooms is as important as the architectural changes themselves. Neutral signage is recommended to create an inclusive environment.
Clear and neutral restroom signage helps create an inclusive environment. Photo by Robert Benson.
Implementation and Building Codes
Understanding local building codes and their variations is essential for designing all gender restrooms. The International Building Code (IBC) and the International Plumbing Code (IPC) provide guidelines, but local jurisdictions may have specific requirements. Changes back in the 2021 to the International Plumbing Code to the IPC included provisions for all gender multi-stall restrooms, removal of binary language, and required occupancy indicators on single-user restroom doors.
There are a multitude of design options that balance openness and privacy to accommodate user preferences. Image © Shepley Bulfinch.
Design Applied
Several case studies illustrate the implementation of all gender restrooms in higher education institutions. For example, in 2015 a community college in Boston, Massachusetts, installed adjacent single-user restrooms to meet the needs of non-binary students while complying with state requirements. In 2019, a public university in Western Massachusetts designed all-gender restrooms with ganged stalls on each floor, and immediately adjacent are single-user all-gender restrooms that give users a private option if they prefer not to use the shared facility. And in 2021, a private university in Maryland incorporated all gender restrooms into new and renovated buildings, balancing openness and privacy.
As institutions modernize their facilities to support and welcome their campus communities, meeting the basic needs of users in an inclusive way is vital. All gender restrooms can take various forms, fitting the values and infrastructure of each institution. While building codes may vary, being prepared to ask the right questions and understanding potential obstacles will help advocate for these inclusive spaces.
What Have We Learned?
Since we published a paper on the topic of designing all gender restrooms, we have seen the way that the U.S. Transgender Survey collects data shift over previous years. It no longer asks participants directly if they avoid restrooms “out of fear,” as it had in earlier surveys. Instead, data is collected by asking participants about a variety of behaviors including: always avoiding restrooms, “holding it” when they need a restroom, and abstaining from drinking or eating to avoid using facilities. It also considers other mental health factors in conjunction with these behaviors, and concludes that policies are still needed to protect transgender and non-binary people’s access to public restrooms.
The implications on designing all gender restrooms hold true. Architects and designers hold the profound privilege—and responsibility—of shaping spaces that offer physical, mental, and emotional safety, creating environments where people can truly thrive, learn, and feel a deep sense of belonging.
Amanda Vigneau, IIDA, NCIDQ
Director
As an experienced Interior Designer, Amanda’s work spans multiple sectors, with a focus on educational, student life, and workplace environments.
Christopher Hillebrand, AIA, LEED AP
Senior Architect, Associate
Chris brings over 10 years of experience in organizing consultants, contractors, and owners to understand everything from the overall project goals to the finer details.