Since the first modern toilet in the 18th century, the restroom has been one of architecture’s most contentious programs. Despite digestion being ubiquitous and common to all people, sanitation and plumbing infrastructure has been, and continues to be, one of the most pervasive methods of segregation, creating divisions in race, gender, geography, and class. Ultimately, we cannot make progress or find our nationhood until the inequalities present in things that make us uncomfortable become topics of discussion and battlegrounds for change.

Challenging this silence, Porta-Party encourages empathy and consideration of the washroom’s importance. Using existing on-site landscape, two outdoor rooms are created, each with its own controlled circulation for ease of security and head-counts. Porta-Potties are placed to encourage circulation throughout this room, distributing users and avoiding long lines. Using the orientation of the porta-potties, the actual use of the washroom remains private, yet the typically closed off threshold to the washroom is extended, allowing people a moment of connectedness. The use of planting differentiates the space from the typically bare or overly finished surfaces of a washroom vestibule, helping users bypass the social hesitation that comes with waiting to use the toilet. Various zones of plantings create a range of tactile and sensual experiences, with a variety of elevational changes directing circulation further to a communal hand washing area.