Designing A Touchless Restroom: What Architects & Interior Designers Should Know
The way architects and interior designers approach restroom projects has changed dramatically over the last several years. What was once viewed primarily as simply a functional space is now recognized as a critical touchpoint that influences occupant satisfaction, perceptions of cleanliness, and overall building performance.
Recent findings from Excel Dryer’s Global Survey of Post-Pandemic Perceptions of Restrooms reveal that restroom users and stakeholders alike have heightened expectations around hygiene, touchless technology, cleanliness, and maintenance. For design professionals, these evolving priorities are shaping a new era of touchless restroom design and influencing everything from fixture selection to ventilation strategies.
As architects and designers plan the next generation of commercial restrooms, understanding these trends can help create spaces that are healthier, more efficient, and better aligned with occupant expectations.
How Restroom Design Priorities Have Changed
Recently, people have begun fundamentally altering how they think about shared spaces, and public restrooms are no exception. Today’s touchless restroom design strategies prioritize hygiene, user confidence, and operational efficiency in ways that were previously less prominent.
According to the MetrixLab Global Survey, cleanliness emerged as the number one concern in public restrooms, with architects and interior designers also citing touchless functionality and improved restroom flow among their most important specification priorities. Increased cleaning protocols and touchless features were also among the most noticeable changes observed in updated modern restrooms.
These findings highlight several key commercial restroom trends that continue to influence projects worldwide. Across Excel Dryer’s global survey, cleanliness and hygiene emerged as the top concerns, while increased cleaning protocols, touchless features, and smart restroom technology were among the most significant changes reported by stakeholders. For architects and interior designers, 89% chose touchless hand dryers, further cementing the fact that most facilities are trending towards either hand dryers or a hybrid hand dryer and paper towel approach. Plus, they agree that touchless hand dryers are more hygienic, more sustainable, and less maintenance than paper towels.
For architects, successful restroom design requires balancing aesthetics, hygiene, and long-term operational considerations. Modern occupants increasingly expect restroom spaces that feel clean, intuitive, and technologically advanced.
Want to explore the complete findings from architects, designers, facility managers, restaurant owners, and consumers worldwide? Discover the insights shaping the future of restroom design.
Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality Considerations for Restrooms
One of the most significant shifts in touchless restroom design is the growing emphasis on restroom ventilation and indoor air quality.
While restroom ventilation has always been important, the pandemic elevated awareness around air movement, filtration, and occupant wellness. Today, architects are increasingly collaborating with mechanical engineers to ensure restroom spaces support broader healthy building standards.
Effective commercial restroom HVAC planning plays a key role in creating healthier and more comfortable restroom environments. Well-designed systems help improve occupant comfort, reduce moisture accumulation, and support cleaner restroom conditions by promoting proper airflow and ventilation. These benefits can also contribute to broader building wellness goals, helping facilities align with evolving expectations around health, comfort, and indoor environmental quality.
Designers are also paying closer attention to how ventilation strategies integrate with fixture placement, occupancy patterns, and maintenance requirements.
As organizations continue investing in healthier buildings, modern restroom planning increasingly includes air quality considerations alongside traditional design priorities such as accessibility, durability, and aesthetics.
The result is a more holistic approach to public restroom design, where environmental performance and user perception work together to create a better experience.
Smart Restroom Technology and Data-Driven Maintenance
Technology is playing an increasingly vital role in touchless restroom design.
The Global Survey found that smart restroom technology was among the most notable changes observed modern spaces, reflecting growing interest in data-driven facility management.
Today’s smart restroom technology can help facilities operate more efficiently by providing valuable data and automation tools. These systems can monitor occupancy levels, track supply usage, and improve maintenance scheduling, allowing staff to address issues proactively rather than reactively. As a result, facilities can reduce operational costs, maintain cleaner restroom environments, and enhance overall user satisfaction.
For architects and interior designers, incorporating facility management technology into restroom planning can help create spaces that perform as well as they look. By considering smart technologies early in the design process, designers can support more efficient maintenance, improve restroom uptime, and provide building owners with valuable data on restroom usage and operations. As touchless restroom design continues to evolve, these solutions can also help create restroom environments that balance aesthetics, hygiene, and long-term functionality.
Survey findings show that touchless features continue to rank among the most important restroom considerations. Touchless fixtures, such as touchless hand dryers, help support user expectations while contributing to a streamlined restroom experience.
See how restroom expectations have evolved and hear directly from the research. Watch the Architect & Designer survey video for a deeper look at the trends influencing specifications today.
Material Selection for Cleaner, More Durable Restrooms
Material choices remain a critical component of successful touchless restroom design.
Architects are increasingly evaluating restroom surface materials based on more than appearance alone. Maintenance requirements, durability, and perceived cleanliness all play major roles in specification decisions.
Popular considerations include:
- Antimicrobial restroom materials
- Easy-to-clean surfaces
- Moisture-resistant finishes
- Graffiti-resistant coatings
- Long-lasting durable restroom finishes
Selecting appropriate commercial restroom materials can help reduce maintenance burdens while supporting a cleaner appearance over time.
Additionally, low-maintenance restroom design has become a major priority for building owners and operators seeking to reduce labor costs and improve operational efficiency.
The most successful restroom projects combine durability with thoughtful aesthetics, creating spaces that perform well while reinforcing the overall design vision of the facility.
This balance is particularly important as public restroom design continues evolving to meet higher expectations for hygiene, sustainability, and occupant satisfaction.
Survey Says: The Future of Touchless Restroom Design
The global findings are clear: touchless restroom design is being shaped by cleanliness, touchless technology, air quality, smart maintenance solutions, and durable materials. Architects and interior designers are uniquely positioned to transform these insights into practical, future-ready restroom environments.
As restroom expectations continue evolving, understanding stakeholder priorities can help design professionals make more informed specification decisions and create spaces that better serve occupants for years to come.