In the annals of jobsite productivity, the portable restroom—better known as a porta potty or Porta John—has played a prominent, if underappreciated, role.
Dating back to the 1940s, these single-occupant restrooms within fiberglass boxes are essential fixtures in construction management. And there have been advances along the way: in 2016, for example, a New York-based supplier named Callahead introduced Waterloo, a self-contained system that Callahead touted as giving users the look, feel, and comfort of a home bathroom.
But portable restrooms can’t always be conveniently placed, especially on high-rise projects where bathroom breaks can be an arduous, time-consuming process.
BUILT TO ACCOMMODATE TIGHT SPACES
Lendlease thinks it’s found a solution to this dilemma with its H3 Wellness Hub, a modular bathroom system whose design optimizes mobility, installation, and maintenance. (The three “H”s stand for hub, health, and hygiene.)
Lendlease invented H3, and has licensed its exclusive manufacturer, B&T Manufacturing in Black Hawk, S.D., to market and sell the units that are 60-1/8 x 49 x 82 inches (length, width, height, outside) and 49 x 44-1/4 x 75 inches (inside). Lendlease started rolling out H3s last November and there are currently eight in the field and 11 more scheduled for delivery within the next month in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago.
B&T is in negotiations with other Porta John suppliers and subcontractors.
The H3s are designed to accommodate tight spaces. They can fit in a construction hoist or be lifted by crane vertically onto a project’s site. Their built-in wheel system can lock in place or be rolled around for versatile positioning.
MULTIPLE HOOKUP OPTIONS
Chemicals aren't needed to clean the interior of H3s, which can by connected to septic tanks or city utilities.
The units provide an enclosed, climate-controlled space that can be connected to standalone septic tanks or directly, on single or multiple floors, to sanitation, fresh water, and electrical utility risers. Conventional cleaning materials can be used, thereby eliminating the need for chemicals that are common in most portable restrooms. (A wall-mounted toilet allows for obstruction-free floor cleaning.)
H3s include HVAC, hot water, natural lighting (via a translucent roof), and porcelain fixtures. UV options are available for germ and bacteria prevention.
Tim Torpey, B&T’s general manager, tells BD+C that his company isn’t sharing pricing information publicly, preferring instead to have customers call and request a price quote. Torpey adds that B&T is offering volume discounts.
The units are designed to make personal hygiene more convenient for jobsite workers.
Related Stories
Concrete Technology | Apr 24, 2023
A housing complex outside Paris is touted as the world’s first fully recycled concrete building
Outside Paris, Holcim, a Swiss-based provider of innovative and sustainable building solutions, and Seqens, a social housing provider in France, are partnering to build Recygénie—a 220-unit housing complex, including 70 social housing units. Holcim is calling the project the world’s first fully recycled concrete building.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 21, 2023
Arlington County, Va., eliminates single-family-only zoning
Arlington County, a Washington, D.C., community that took shape in the 1950s, when single-family homes were the rule in suburbia, recently became one of the first locations on the East Coast to eliminate single-family-only zoning.
Green | Apr 21, 2023
Top 10 green building projects for 2023
The Harvard University Science and Engineering Complex in Boston and the Westwood Hills Nature Center in St. Louis are among the AIA COTE Top Ten Awards honorees for 2023.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 19, 2023
Austin’s historic Rainey Street welcomes a new neighbor: a 48-story mixed-used residential tower
Austin’s historic Rainey Street is welcoming a new neighbor. The Paseo, a 48-story mixed-used residential tower, will bring 557 apartments and two levels of retail to the popular Austin entertainment district, known for houses that have been converted into bungalow bars and restaurants.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023
Reinforced concrete walls and fins stiffen and shade the National Bank of Kuwait skyscraper
When the National Bank of Kuwait first conceived its new headquarters more than a decade ago, it wanted to make a statement about passive design with a soaring tower that could withstand the extreme heat of Kuwait City, the country’s desert capital.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023
HDR uses artificial intelligence tools to help design a vital health clinic in India
Architects from HDR worked pro bono with iKure, a technology-centric healthcare provider, to build a healthcare clinic in rural India.
Design Innovation Report | Apr 19, 2023
Meet The Hithe: A demountable building for transient startups
The Hithe, near London, is designed to be demountable and reusable. The 2,153-sf building provides 12 units of business incubator workspace for startups.
Contractors | Apr 19, 2023
Rising labor, material prices cost subcontractors $97 billion in unplanned expenses
Subcontractors continue to bear the brunt of rising input costs for materials and labor, according to a survey of nearly 900 commercial construction professionals.
Airports | Apr 18, 2023
India's mammoth new airport terminal takes ‘back to nature’ seriously
On January 15, 2023, Phase 1 of the Kempegowda International Airport’s Terminal 2, in Bengaluru, India, began domestic operations. The 2.75 million-sf building, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), is projected to process 25 million passengers annually, while providing its travelers with a healthier environment, thanks to extensive indoor-outdoor landscaping that offers serenity to what is normally a frenzied experience.
Contractors | Apr 18, 2023
New York City construction fatalities, injuries rise in 2022 as activity booms
New York City’s construction fatalities rose from nine in 2021 to eleven in 2022, according to a report by the New York City Department of Buildings. Recorded injuries also rose to 554 last year after leveling off in 2020 and 2021.
