A contest to pick Canada’s Best Restroom includes a “Surrey Park” entry.
It’s a top-five finalist on bestrestroom.com/canada, along with restrooms located in Toronto, Red Deer, Calgary and Edmonton.
The facility that receives the most votes before July 9 will win $2,500 in facility services from Cintas “to help maintain their award-winning washrooms.”
The Surrey entry was designed by Vancouver-based architect James Huemoeller (jimarchitecture.com).
“It is an honour to work on a project that even gets nominated,” Huemoeller told the Now-Leader. “I am also happy to see several municipal projects in the final five. I think it shows that people value well-designed public washrooms. We have put in our vote and we are pulling for Surrey to come out on top.”
Some other views of the "Surrey Park" restroom that's in the running for Canada's Best Restroom.
— Tom Zillich (@TomZillich) June 10, 2021
FULL STORY: https://t.co/gqFpDkIVm1 pic.twitter.com/ps4tqdh5ZL
In February, Surrey’s new “modular” park restroom made a splash on “the world’s most visited architecture website,” archdaily.com. The restroom can be found at Maple Green and Chimney Heights parks, with Forsyth and Latimer Lake parks targeted as proposed locations for installation in 2021.
Back in 2018, the city contracted JIM Architecture to design a modular park washroom with specific features, for installation throughout the park system, where needed, at a “base unit” cost of $190,000.
“The intent for the park washroom was to create a playful, durable, safe facility that works well within the City of Surrey’s park contexts,” says a news release from organizers of the Canada’s Best Restroom contest.
“The washroom was designed to be universally accessible, hands-free with no-touch fixtures and configured for solar power. It also features public art panels on all four sides of the structure. The design employs a distinct form, strong colours and unique use of materials.”
Contest updates can be found on facebook.com/CanadasBestRestroom.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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