As the previous post suggests, I've been thinking about design much more than ever before. It's funny how it penetrates every space in subtle ways that we often don't think about -- for example the men's bathroom. Several weeks ago, I realized how ingenious the urinals in my school's bathrooms, designed by this company, are. Not only do they have bumblebees sitting in their basin, which, no matter how much you resist, focuses your activities more than the typical urinal. They're also waterless, which saves countless gallons every day. They're an example of design making things cleaner and more efficient -- in the bathroom.
I had been embarrassed about thinking about urinals so much, until I walked past an architecture student's studio desk and saw a pile of library books, all about designing bathrooms. People don't just think idle thoughts about bathrooms, they take a programmatic, academic approach. Brilliant. Really, bumblebees are only the tip of the iceberg: There's also the size of the stall, the automatic sink, the automatic hand dryer, etc. Though, as one of Richard Lewis' old jokes goes, It's a shame the toilet seat can't be automatic. There's no way to get around having to sit on it.
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