12/01/2025
"My family often lodges in hotels and resorts as a vacation getaway. While the suites are spacious enough for the six of us, a recurring issue arises determining who gets to use the bathroom first. This situation forces those who can wait a bit longer to yield to someone with an urgent need. Experiencing this repeatedly has inspired me to find a design solution for this problem. The conventional bathroom layout in our homes and in most hospitality buildings seem inadequate and less accommodating to the needs of a modern-day family like ours. Hence, this motivated me to create a design that addresses this challenge and enhances the overall experience not just for single tourists and couples but also, and especially, for families during their stays."
This is what Lia Mendoza, a young visionary architect of SDL + A, has to say when tasked to design an unconventional hospitality bathroom that caters to everyone. Her focus is on creating a bathroom that goes beyond mere aesthetics, placing an emphasis on practicality.
Alongside the inviting atmosphere created by blending warmth and contemporary elements in the materials, the 10-square-meter bathroom is meticulously organized into distinct functions, ensuring accessibility for multiple users. This design enables more family members to easily utilize the space as needed, a tribute to a feature of a traditional Filipino household—open, fluid and continuous.
