Beatrix Potter Museum, Windermere – Product: Sensazone

On the stunning banks of Lake Windermere in Cumbria is the charming town of Bowness-on-Windermere, a tourist honeypot thanks to its incredible lake views and surrounding scenery.

Not only playing host to breath-taking views, Bowness-on-Windermere is also the home of The World of Beatrix Potter, an interactive museum dedicated to the life and work of the legendary children’s writer.

Making a perfect day out whilst holidaying in the Lake District, the museum’s charm attracts some 180,000 visitors each year, with footfall reaching highs of 1,200 per day during the summer.

At the beginning of 2017, a full refurbishment of the male, female and disabled toilets took place in order to accommodate the museum’s ever-growing popularity.  One of the key drivers in the refurbishment was to create a washroom solution that not only looks great and is easy to use, but will also keep water and energy consumption to a minimum.

When it came to meeting this demand, washroom solution specialist, Aaztec Cubicles, who oversaw the project, chose the Cistermiser Sensazone system.

Sensazone controls the water supply, lighting and extractor fans within the washroom by using infrared sensors to determine when the bathroom is in use.  Simon Blakey, Northern Area Sales Manager at Aaztec, said: “We were looking for a supplier that could offer a low-cost, low-maintenance and easy-to-install solution without compromising on performance.  Sensazone from Cistermiser was just the answer; providing savings in both water and energy, along with being easy to install, clean and maintain, it was precisely what we were looking for.”

The system works to save water consumption by using solenoid valves – if motion is detected, the valves open to supply water to urinals and cisterns.  If no movement is detected for a pre-set period (configurable to 15 or 30 minutes), the water supply is cut off.  Since the water is controlled at its entry point, Sensazone prevents it from passing uncontrolled through any defective or damaged outlet, eliminating the risk of wastage or flooding during vacant periods.

Not only saving water, Sensazone also prevents unnecessary energy use by employing a shutdown facility that restricts lighting and extractor fan usage when the bathroom is vacant – energy efficient.

The power supply to the lighting will come on when Sensazone detects that the washroom is occupied.  Power will continue to be supplied for either a 15- or 30-minute period, which can be set depending on preference.  The use of the extractor fans can also be configured to run for a certain time only when the bathroom is in use.

The Sensazone system is surface mounted, meaning it is suitable for any ceiling type in both retrofit and new-build operations.  It is also BREEAM compatible and ensures compliance with Water Regulations, helping to achieve a safe and hygienic washroom environment.

Matt Chubb, Operations Manager at The World of Beatrix Potter, said: “The directors, general manager, staff and I absolutely love the new toilets.  And our opinion is reflected by the reaction of the general public coming out of them.  The quality of materials used and the workmanship involved is beyond exceptional.  I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all involved.”