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Men’s public restrooms are laid out all wrong. It should be urinal, stall, urinal, stall, urinal instead of urinal, urinal, urinal, stall, stall.

· 3 min read

Ever walked into a men’s restroom and felt like you were playing a game of Where’s Waldo? but with bodily fluids? The classic layout—three urinals followed by two stalls—has been a stubborn relic of the 1950s that refuses to adapt to the realities of modern masculinity. The truth is, we’re not just here to pee; we’re a collective of “I’m here for a quick pee, but I’ll probably have to wait for a stall because my buddy's doing a full-on face‑to‑face showdown with a man in a different stall”.

The ideal layout, according to a growing movement of bathroom designers, is a simple alternating pattern: urinal, stall, urinal, stall, urinal. This keeps the flow of people moving, reduces the awkward “I’m just peeing, but I’ve got a whole conversation going on in the next stall” vibe, and—most importantly—keeps the plumbing from turning into a traffic jam.

Why the fuss? Because the current design is basically a “double‑door” approach: two walls with three urinals on one side and two stalls on the other. That means the walls are working hard to keep the stalls from turning into a social experiment. The walls are being used to their maximum efficiency, but that doesn’t mean the people inside are happy. Imagine a hallway of three urinals—fast, efficient, but also a little too… public. Then you get stuck behind two stalls that feel like a private club but are open to the whole building’s gossip.

So, what would happen if we switched to a staggered design? People could line up in a way that feels less like a queue for a bathroom and more like a “we’re all in this together” line. It also helps with the “I don’t want to be next to the guy who just left a wet footprint on the floor” problem. No more awkward eye contact between a guy who just used a stall and a guy who’s about to pee.

And if you’re still not convinced, think about the flow of the restroom. Imagine a sleek, alternating pattern: the first urinal takes the load, the stall gives a quick break for those who need it, then another urinal pops up, a stall again, and a final urinal to finish the job. That’s efficient, that’s fun, and it makes it less likely that you’ll end up stuck in a stall that feels like a hostage situation because the guy next to you is taking forever.

In short: the bathroom should be a place where you can get your business done without feeling like you’re in a hostage drama. The urinal, stall, urinal, stall, urinal layout is the future—if you’re into that kind of thing.

Comments​

  • The current system is designed to maximize wall efficiency. Each wall is doing double duty, and you would use more walls for the same official bathroom capacity.
    It's a great idea, but bathroom design isn't random.

  • CEO of bathroom design this guy.

  • John bathroom???

  • Hehe doody.

  • I don't want to have to deal with you shitting next to me if I'm only in there to pee.
    Let the shitters duke it out amongst themselves.

TL;DR​

Men’s restrooms need a urinal, stall, urinal, stall, urinal layout to stop the hallway from turning into a hostage drama. It’s all about efficiency, social distance, and keeping the plumbing from turning into a traffic jam.