BERANGO – SPAIN
Model: CIAU HU
Technology: S4s (fixed)
Date: April 2025
Client: INDARLAN
Description:
Berango, a city in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Region, has had a new public washroom facility installed, aiming to improve its urban infrastructures. The company INDARLAN has commissioned SANO2 a model CIAO HU, series S4 self-cleaning public washroom. The client specific request was to implement a solution which combined efficiency, accessibility and aesthetic integration in the urban context, in order to meet the needs of citizens and tourists with the highest hygiene and functionality standards.
Not far from Bilbao, Berango benefits from an oceanic climate, typical of the Basque Region, characterised by mild temperatures as well as by frequent rainfalls. These characteristics require resistant and durable architectural solutions, capable of withstanding frequent rainfalls, saline corrosion and seasonal thermal excursions. In this context, in addition to the right design, choosing the most suitable materials and building technologies is crucial to guarantee functionality and longevity to public washrooms.
SANO2 washroom in Berango stands out for its basic, minimal design: each element is designed to ensure maximum efficiency without compromising visual harmony with the surrounding environment.
The external coating in galvanized painted weathering steel gives the structure a contemporary look and an outstanding resistance to the atmospheric agents of Berango climate. The flat roof, made with a slab in vibrated reinforced concrete, is designed to effectively collect rain water, channelling it into a single down pipe passing through a technical room. This solution allows to totally hide the drain pipe, which results invisible from the outside, maintaining the cleanliness of the architectural lines and perfectly adhering to the simplicity which characterises the whole project.
The installation minimal design is planned to only show what is strictly necessary and to hide functional and plant elements in favour of an essential style. The interiors of the self-cleaning washroom reflect the same attention to the aesthetics and functionality of its external look: the urinal area is made of a weathering steel coating, with stainless steel AISI 304 walls and a “scotch brite” finish. This space has two stations with an automatic flushing system connected to a motion sensor installed on the ceiling. In order to give privacy to its users, there are two dividers between the steel stations, as well as a draught-screen panel.
The heart of this installation is the SANO2 state-of-the-art S4 self-cleaning technology system. This solution guarantees superior hygienic standards thanks to a logic processor which manages all automations, making its employ and maintenance extremely simple and user-friendly. After each utilisation, the washroom undergoes a full cleaning, disinfection and drying process which requires less than 35 seconds, thus offering its users a perfectly sanitise environment. This feature is particularly important in a climate like that of Berango, where the constant humidity could facilitate mould and bacterial proliferation.
The installation accessibility is designed to meet the needs of all its possible users. The stainless steel kit includes an ergonomic wall-hung washroom bowl, equipped with support handles – one folding, one fixed – which facilitate its employ to disabled people. The aluminium sliding door is designed to grant an easy access even to wheel-chair users, since it is calibrated on their manoeuvres.
In accordance with the bilingual identity of the Basque Region, the interior and external stickers reporting the operating instructions are both in Basque and Spanish languages, as well as in Braille writing, to guarantee inclusion to blind people as well. The information display – which is the central element of the interaction with the users – is programmed to include four languages: Basque (primary language), Spanish, English and French. This multi-lingual choice takes into consideration the official bilingualism of the Basque Region, as well as its touristic appeal; the beauty of the Basque Country, in fact, attracts visitors from all over the world.
The S4 public washroom in Berango is an example of how public infrastructures can combine functionality, aesthetics, accessibility and sustainability. This SANO2 public washroom does not simply meet a practical need; it does so by means of a high quality standard, integrating advanced technological systems in a minimal design solution, respectful of the urban context where it is installed.
