The Associated Students UCLA plans to spend $56,000 next year to renovate the first-floor restrooms in Ackerman Union, which have not been renovated since the 1990s.
The money allocated would replace all the current fixtures, such as sinks and toilets, with low-flow versions that would not use as much water, said Roy Champawat, director of the student union.
The renovation of the restrooms is part of a $3 million project to renovate the A level and first floor of the student union, including the dining areas on both floors. The association will decide on a color scheme by the end of the year and renovate the dining areas and restrooms accordingly, Champawat said.
ASUCLA Executive Director Robert Williams said the restrooms were outdated and even he would not use those restrooms.
“It’s a tight bathroom with old fixtures and green tiles,” Williams said. “The urinals look like they could belong in a museum.”
Several members in the association proposed an extra $49,000 to be allocated to replace the green tiles, Champawat added.
The Green Initiative Fund, which promotes environmentally friendly projects such as purchasing low-flow fixtures, is providing $26,000 in funding of the total $56,000 budgeted for the the renovations, Champawat said.
Champawat said he is supportive of using less water, but low-flow fixtures are more prone to clogging.
“The urinals in Kerckhoff used to either be no-flow or low-flow and there would be crystalline buildup,” Champawat said. “Before we construct the low-flow fixtures in Ackerman, we will do preventative maintenance to make sure that won’t happen.”
Evelyn Ma, a fourth-year Asian American studies student, said she thinks the renovations are necessary because the restroom should be expanded.
“We have visitors, students, faculty and workers eating on that floor (and the restroom only has) three stalls,” Ma said. “It’s also messy when you enter.”
Peter Wang, a fifth-year business economics student, said he would prefer ASUCLA renovate the restrooms on the third floor because they are used more often that the ones on the first floor.
“I don’t think a lot of people even know there are bathrooms on the first floor,” Wang said.
Champawat said construction will begin once the association approves a design for the restrooms.
Look at that fancy Dyson hand dryer.
1) I didn’t know these bathrooms existed, 2) Can ASUCLA also propose renovations to academic buildings? Because 3) Bunche Hall and its restrooms look, feel, and smell like San Quentin State Prison. Windows? None. Questionable, brown, non-coffee splatter? Everywhere. Let’s just say the building is not super conducive to learning.
It’s great to go green with low-flow toilets and all, but maybe we should practice what we preach and also not air-condition every north campus building to arctic temperatures. I’ve seen thermostats set as low as 58 degrees (Bunche, Pub Affairs) — if it takes 45 minutes [of sitting in the sun wearing 2-layered black outfits] for blood flow to return to my extremities, I think the AC might border on excessive! Just a thought.
Low flow = more flushing