For her graduate project, Ruth Pearn — a student at the University of Westminster, conceptualizes accessible public toilets that are meant to break the taboo of menstruation and address the surge of period poverty in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire. Dubbed 'The New Public Convenience: Hull's Bath House & Lady Garden,' the space will provide individuals with baths, showers, toilets, a launderette, salon, and clothes.
The accessible public toilets boast baroque-style embellishments which creates a sleek aesthetic. To combat period poverty, Ruth Pearn devises a scheme that will "recycle tampons made from organic cotton into compost to fertilize the plants and flowers growing." Essential oils that are extracted from the vegetation will be used to make bars of soaps that will be sold. The proceeds will go directly to running the building, making the public bathhouse accessible to everyone.
Inclusive Bathhouse Concepts
Ruth Pearn Fights Period Poverty with Accessible Public Toilets
Trend Themes
1. Accessible Public Toilets - Opportunity for creating accessible public toilets that address specific needs, such as period poverty.
2. Breaking Taboos - Opportunity to challenge social taboos and stigmas through innovative bathhouse designs.
3. Circular Economy - Opportunity to implement circular economy practices in the bathhouse concept, by recycling and repurposing organic materials.
Industry Implications
1. Hospitality - Opportunity for the hospitality industry to create inclusive and innovative bathhouse experiences for guests.
2. Sustainable Beauty - Opportunity for the beauty industry to explore the production of organic soaps using essential oils from recycled vegetation.
3. Social Entrepreneurship - Opportunity for social entrepreneurs to address social issues like period poverty through the creation of accessible public bathhouses.