The design by Monika Puchała and Tomasz Sachanowicz from the s.lab architektura studio in Szczecin has reached the final of the A Bauhaus Bathroom: Design Competition for a Public Restroom at Gropius House in the United States. The jury selected their concept as one of the five best out of over 280 entries submitted from more than 40 countries and six continents. This is a significant success for the Polish architects, who tackled a task requiring both sensitivity to the historical context and the ability to work with Bauhaus ideas.
The competition involved designing a public toilet on the grounds of Gropius House in Lincoln, near Boston – the modernist home of Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus, created in collaboration with Marcel Breuer. The building, which now functions as a museum, is visited by tourists from all over the world, yet it still lacks permanent toilet facilities on site. A portable toilet currently serves as a temporary solution, situated next to the garage housing the reception and shop. The competition organiser, Historic New England, was seeking a solution that was durable, functional and in keeping with the site’s modernist heritage.
Background rather than focal point
Monika Puchała and Tomasz Sachanowicz’s concept was based on the idea of “harmonious integration”. The architects proposed a building that does not compete with the historic surroundings but becomes a natural complement to them. From the front of the plot, it remains almost invisible, ensuring that the relationship between the Gropius House, the garage and the surrounding landscape remains intact.
A key point of reference was a characteristic feature of the Massachusetts landscape – dry-stone walls, present in the region since the late 18th century. These are a tangible trace of the agricultural past and, at the same time, a protected element of local identity. The wall surrounding the Gropius estate was also built using local stone. The design by the Polish architects develops this theme: the new structure rises from the existing low boundary wall, gradually rising to form a stone enclosure for the proposed toilets. Local materials and traditional building techniques were used, reinforcing the connection to the site.
The roof has been designed as a surface covered with soil and planted with local grass species, which further blends the building into its surroundings and minimises its visual presence.
Functionality in the spirit of the Bauhaus
The design meets all the competition requirements: two toilets are provided, including one adapted for wheelchair users. Each room is equipped with a toilet bowl and a washbasin, and the smaller toilet also features a urinal. Along the external stone wall, the architects have placed a long wooden bench offering a view of the Gropius House – a practical feature that organises the space and creates a resting place for visitors.
The interiors are defined by the stone used to construct the walls and the natural light streaming in through the skylights. The wall separating the two toilets is made of stainless steel panels, within which the services are concealed, allowing the clean lines of the design to be maintained and minimising the number of visible elements.
Until now, visitors have been using a portable toilet next to the souvenir shop in the former garage:
International jury and final projects
The winner of the competition was Isabel Strauss, an architect and lecturer at Smith College in Northampton. The shortlist of five, alongside the s.lab architektura team, also included: Auyon Bachar from Los Angeles, Mohsen Laei from Tehran and the Payette studio from Boston. An exhibition of the shortlisted projects will take place in summer 2026 at Gropius House.
design: Monika Puchała, Tomasz Sachanowicz / s.lab architektura
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