I had great fun designing a toilet this semester.

My site was on a beach at Yung Shue Ha. It is a rather isolated area on Lamma Island, Hong Kong. I was inspired by the long journey it took to reach the beach. There were only three toilets in a 20-minute way, which is vastly different from the situation in urban areas like Central. Nevertheless, there were numerous interesting spots along the trail like historical stone houses built by the villagers 100 years ago. This journey inspired me to look into the idea of how “time” goes by. What is the best use of time? Efficiency? Or a journey that stays in your memory?

To respond to this, I designed a toilet that recreates a journey like experience by using walls. Moreover, noticing that how rocks are continuously washed by the waves and are turned into sand, I opened holes in the walls to allow the waves and the stone wall to “meet”. I want “time” to be an element in my design: The walls change in time; the holes are enlarged. The journey to go to the toilet becomes interesting when waves come in, and when the toilet changes its appearance every time people come.

At the end of the journey, people would arrive at the cubicle. It is small but is also packed with multiple functions: using rainwater for hand washing and waves to flush. Finally, people can see the sea at the cubicle.