Hsining Chang

The bathroom is the most private room of the house, yet it is the room requiring the greatest exposure to air. In this study, bathrooms surround a central space that is open to air and also provides a view from every bathroom. The enclosure allows the central space of the house to be both the most private and the most exposed. From the bathrooms, the rooms in the house offer progressively greater privacy, with the living and dining rooms protecting the house from the public. As a guest, one can only experience the central space visually, never being allowed to occupy it.

The bathroom is also where the body comes into direct contact with surfaces. To study how age affects this phenomenon, I envisioned the occupants of the house as members of three age groups: two children, an adult couple, and an older person with disabilities. The materials of the bathroom emphasize the idea of the naked body within the bathroom. The materials were chosen to accommodate the needs of the members of each age group living in the house.