COVID-19 Pandemic to Affect Bathroom Design

Concerns about health and safety have never been higher, as interest in reducing the risk of transmitting the coronavirus is spurring numerous changes in nearly every facet of daily life. Bathrooms have not been immune to this, as heightened concerns about cleanliness have encouraged designers, construction professionals, and building managers to look at ways to make bathrooms safer and cleaner.

A recent article indicates some of the ways in which this transformation is occurring – which will have important considerations for the building construction industry. Changes in bathroom design practices will affect demand for a wide range of building materials, such as:

• rising use of touchless fixtures, such as faucets and toilets, to minimize contact
• increasing installation of paper towel dispensers as hot air dryers are removed from bathrooms
• adding sink and toilet fixtures to try to keep large crowds out of bathrooms
• specifiers choosing countertops and vanity tops made from solid surfacing, synthetic stone veneers, and other nonporous materials that inhibit the growth of viruses or bacteria
• installing partitions to direct crowd flows to promote social distancing

For more information and discussion of opportunities, see The Freedonia Group’s extensive collection of off-the-shelf research, particularly in the Construction and Building Products. Freedonia also offers an expanding catalog of COVID-19 Economic Impact reports, which highlight how various industries are responding to the current crisis with a comparison to recent recessions. Freedonia Custom Research is also available for questions requiring tailored market intelligence.