Compact Sill-less Shower Screen
Modular construction, known for its efficiency and speed, continues to grow in popularity. In these builds, bathrooms are often very small with minimal room for performance and safety features. The floor space limitations lead to inward-opening shower doors that maximise the small space.
While practical, this inward-opening configuration creates a safety risk. If a person falls and blocks the shower door, they prevent emergency access to the fallen person inside the shower alcove.
Our product design team was tasked with finding a solution to solve this risk and ensure safety and practicality in small bathroom spaces. The result of their work is Pivotech’s Compact sill-less shower screen, a system created specifically for modular construction.
The Compact system features a safety release mechanism that lets the door to be easily removed if it is blocked by someone falling inside the shower.
Compact Features
Space & Safety Challenges Solved
The Compact sill-less shower screen offers an inward-opening system designed specifically for small modular construction layouts. Our safety release mechanism solves the risk associated with inward-opening doors. This mechanism lets the door be easily removed in the event it is blocked if someone falls in the shower and the door can’t swing in.
Inward-Opening Door Design
Maintains practical size and configuration for compact modular bathrooms.
Safety Release Mechanism
Allows for quick removal of the door if someone falls and blocks it. Emergency responders can quicky and easily access the person and help them without delay.
Sill-less Door
Incorporates a custom drip tray drain built around the shower screen, essential for the compact space.
Durable Construction
Made of quality materials, Compact is tested for strength and durability.
Simple Mechanism
The release mechanism is intuitive and easy to operate, requiring minimal effort to remove the door when necessary.
An Clever Solution
Our Compact shower screen proves thoughtful design in modular construction and emerging safety technologies can to improve overall liveability in small spaces.
By incorporating a safety release mechanism, we addressed the potential risk of blocked shower exits in an emergency and provided an elegant and practical solution to a challenging design and construct problem.
Benefits of our Compact sill-less shower screen
Improved Safety
Improved Safety
Space Efficiency
Space Efficiency
Cost-Effective
Cost-Effective
Regulatory Compliance
Regulatory Compliance
User Confidence
User Confidence
Engineered for the layout and safety challenges of modular construction
Designing Compact
Design Options
Front Only
Front and Return
Glass Options
Clear Glass
Translucent Glass
Configuration Options
Panel
Door Left Hinged (from outside)
Door Right Hinged (from outside)
Return Panel on Left Side (from outside)
Return Panel on Right Side (from outside)
FO-SB-CL-P-DR
FR-SB-CL-DL-P-RR
FO-SB-CL-DL-P
FR-SB-CL-LR-P-DR
FO-SB-CL-DR
FR-SB-CL-RL-DR
FO-SB-CL-DL
FR-SB-CL-DL-RR
Safety Release Shower Door System
Modular Construction Case Study
The Background
Modular construction, known for its efficiency and speed, has gained popularity in the development of student housing. When applying this strategy to the design of bathrooms, a key challenge arises: very limited available space.
An inward-opening shower door in tight bathroom spaces maximises design options outside of the shower area but also poses significant safety concerns, especially in emergencies. The inward opening of the door can create a hazardous situation, particularly if someone falls inside the shower, blocking the exit.
The Problem: safety risk
In student housing, bathrooms are often compact, leaving minimal room for function and safety features. The space constraints lead to the design of inward-opening shower doors that maximise the small space. This configuration creates a safety risk if a person falls and blocks the door. It could prevent emergency access or the ability to safely remove someone from the enclosed shower.
This situation could result in serious delays during emergencies, creating a potential for harm, especially in the event of falls, slips, or medical emergencies where time is crucial.
The Solution: safety release mechanism
We were tasked with designing an innovative solution to solve this problem and ensure both safety and practicality in confined modular bathroom spaces.
Our design solution involves an inward action system for shower doors, common in tight modular bathroom layouts. To solve the safety risk associated with inward-opening doors, we introduced a safety release mechanism. This mechanism enables the door to be easily removed in the event it becomes obstructed, such as when someone falls inside the shower and blocks the door’s normal operation.
The Challenges & Considerations
Implementation in Existing Buildings: Retrofitting the safety release mechanism in already built modular units could pose logistical challenges, requiring updates to the original designs or slight modifications to existing bathroom layouts.
Durability of Release Mechanism: Ensuring the safety release mechanism remains effective over time, especially under regular use and wear, is essential. Ongoing maintenance or periodic testing may be needed to maintain the system’s reliability.
The Conclusion
This innovative safety solution for the inward-opening shower door in modular student housing represents a creative approach to balancing the need for space efficiency with the critical requirement for safety. By incorporating a safety release mechanism, the design addresses the potential hazard of blocked exits during emergencies, providing an elegant and practical solution to a challenging problem.
This case study showcases the importance of thoughtful design in modular construction and highlights how emerging safety technologies can be integrated into space-constrained environments to improve overall liveability and security.
The Benefits
Improved Safety
The safety release mechanism dramatically enhances the safety of students using the modular housing bathrooms, especially in emergency situations. Users can be safely reached and assisted without the need to wait for complex or time-consuming interventions.
Space Efficiency
The inward-opening door design maximises the use of limited bathroom space, preserving the modular design’s core advantage of space optimisation. The sill-less door integrated over the floor grate provides a robust waterproofing solution.
Cost-Effectiveness
This solution allows the project to stay within budget while addressing critical safety concerns. The safety feature does not significantly increase the cost compared to traditional solutions.
Regulatory Compliance
The design adheres to safety standards and regulations, ensuring the student housing units meet building codes and health and safety guidelines.
User Confidence
Students and other residents are reassured knowing their living spaces are designed with practical safety features that anticipate emergencies.
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