The Project
Recent improvements to the Santa Catalina Island trail system required multiple restroom buildings to be installed. The Catalina Island Conservancy is an organization that owns 88% of the island and is responsible for protecting and preserving the land. From scuba diving to art museums, Catalina Island is a destination for many different types of recreational activities. One of the most popular features is the network of trails that meander across the 22-mile long island. The improvements to this trail system provide even more options for hikers making trips. However, the new trails were designed to have minimal impact on the landscape and wildlife with the most visibility. Restrooms would also need to have as small an impact on their surroundings as possible. All shipments for the project would need to be delivered by ship.
The Solution
Romtec was hired to provide the design and supply of five vault restrooms on Catalina Island. The new restroom buildings needed to be waterless facilities due to the lack of infrastructure on the remote trails. This allowed each facility to be installed with a minimal footprint. Three of the restrooms are single occupant facilities, while the other two have two unisex, single-user rooms at points with higher traffic requirements. Exterior design features were selected to complement the surrounding landscape. Glass block windows provide each restroom with adequate lighting while retaining the privacy of the user installed. Waterless restrooms were the best option for this application because of the minimal impact they have on their surroundings. Romtec’s vault restrooms include protection screens to prevent birds and other wildlife from entering the vault accidentally. All of the buildings were shipped in staged pallets with all building materials included due to the inaccessibility of the island. Catalina Island Conservancy has done a great job balancing the preservation of Catalina Island and making it more accessible to the visitors who treasure it.
