The Agnews Campus in the Santa Clara Unified School District is an innovative, K-12 school system featuring elementary, middle and high school facilities. Constructed in 2020 and 2021, the campus serves more than 3,000 students in San Jose in the heart of Silicon Valley. The school district worked with LPA Design Studios, a California-based integrated architectural and engineering design firm, to design the schools with a high-tech aesthetic. The design team wanted to convey a futuristic and higher-end look and feel.
“Our main goals for the restrooms were to maximize ease of use, clean and modern aesthetics, and maintenance,” said Alice Kim, project interior designer, LPA.
Specifying an institutional, standard-looking sink for the washrooms wouldn’t do, explained LPA design coordinator, Kathryn Gray. “We searched for a handwashing fixture to balance the desired functionality and efficient use of space in the restrooms with a much more aesthetically pleasing solution.”
SOLUTION
The design team considered several handwashing models and ultimately landed on the all-in-one WashBar with Verge washbasins as the standard for all 136 campus restrooms. "Bradley was kind enough to allow the district to utilize a Verge sink with WashBar in the district office in order to test the functionality and durability,” Gray explained. “The unit performed well encouraging the district to move forward with utilizing the sinks and WashBar on all three campuses."
With touch-free soap, water and hand dryer in one single chrome-plated component, the WashBar makes handwashing easier, more accessible and more hygienic. Sleek, elongated Verge washbasins made of non-porous Evero natural quartz were also specified. A total of 147 WashBars were specified with single-, double- and triple-station Verge washbasins.
“With combined and integrated functions, the WashBar met the needs of easy access and usage, as well as clean aesthetics,” Kim said.
According to Rosiella Defensor, LEED AP BD+C, senior project manager for the Santa Clara Unified School District, the fixture also stands up to heavy daily usage and improves maintenance. “While the WashBar has a sleek look perfect for our high-tech campus, it also has a hardy and durable design. Its large one-gallon soap dispenser cuts down on frequent refills and its hand dryer minimizes paper towel use,” she said.
The schools also have Bradley’s multi-user showers in the pool area, individual showers including both ADA and standard configurations in the middle and high school gym locker rooms, and Bradley’s thermostatic mixing valves in areas such as the science classrooms and kitchen areas.
“Another benefit to using the WashBar is the integrated design helped eliminate many other restroom accessories giving a clean finished look,” added Gray.
As LPA plumbing project manager, Greg Webb, points out, the WashBar’s unique design with LED lighting actually encourages kids to wash their hands: “The students have really picked up on the advanced and futuristic design of the WashBar,” said Webb.
“Bradley’s products–particularly the WashBar–have been a resounding success in this school project.”
