Transforms touchless faucets and soap dispensers from fixtures into strategic building assets.

Smart Building Restroom Technology

đźš° The Specification Process: More Than Choosing Fixtures

The specification process of touchless faucets and soap dispensers is not just about choosing fixtures.
It’s about transforming these everyday objects into strategic building assets — ones that anchor compliance,
elevate hygiene, drive sustainability, control operational costs, reinforce design integrity, and build professional trust.

The specification process of touchless faucets and soap dispensers is not just about choosing fixtures.
It’s about transforming these everyday objects into strategic building assets — ones that:

Why it matters
Specification protects compliance, hygiene outcomes, sustainability performance, and long-term operational value.

1. Anchor Compliance

Touchless systems, when specified correctly, satisfy critical standards like ADA accessibility, UPC/IPC plumbing codes,
NSF/ANSI certifications, and lead-free regulations
. A casual “pick” from a catalog may not meet these codes, putting projects
at risk of inspection failures, legal liability, or costly retrofits. By documenting compliance at the spec stage,
architects ensure smooth approvals, reduce risk, and protect building owners.

🔑 Strategic Value: Fixtures become compliance anchors — safeguarding legal, safety, and accessibility obligations.

2. Elevate Hygiene

In high-traffic restrooms, hygiene is paramount. Specified touchless faucets and dispensers:

  • Remove contact points, reducing cross-contamination.
  • Deliver precise soap and water volumes, ensuring consistent handwashing.
  • Support infection-control protocols in healthcare and education settings.
  • Increase public confidence, with studies showing 70% of users trust touchless restrooms more.
Strategic Value
Fixtures evolve into hygiene infrastructure, protecting users and boosting trust in the facility.

3. Drive Sustainability

Touchless fixtures are powerful sustainability tools when specified with flow restrictors, foam soap technology, and multifeed reservoirs:

  • Save 30–50% of water compared to manual taps.
  • Cut soap consumption by 30–40% through pre-lathered foam.
  • Contribute to LEED and WELL building credits, aligning with ESG commitments.
Strategic Value
Fixtures function as sustainability levers, reducing environmental footprint while supporting certifications that increase property value.

4. Control Operational Costs

Poorly chosen fixtures quickly drive up OPEX through clogs, leaks, or frequent refills. Specification ensures:

  • ≥300,000 cycle-tested valves for long service life.
  • Dual power (AC + backup batteries) for uptime resilience.
  • IoT-enabled monitoring for predictive maintenance.

This converts what could be a maintenance burden into a cost-controlled operational asset, with measurable ROI for facility owners.

🔑 Strategic Value: Fixtures deliver long-term cost efficiency, not recurring expenses.

5. Reinforce Design Integrity

Restroom fixtures are visible touchpoints that influence brand perception. Proper specification guarantees:

  • Finish consistency (Matte Black, Brushed Gold, Stainless Steel, Chrome) across faucets, dispensers, and accessories.
  • Integration with modern architectural themes, whether hospitality luxury, healthcare resilience, or institutional durability.
  • Avoidance of mismatched, afterthought hardware that undermines design intent.

🔑 Strategic Value: Fixtures become brand signatures, extending the design vision into one of the most used public spaces.

6. Build Professional Trust

Clients expect architects and engineers to act as strategic advisors, not product shoppers. Specification demonstrates mastery of:

  • Regulatory compliance
  • Lifecycle economics
  • User experience and hygiene goals
  • Sustainability benchmarks

This positions the design team as trusted experts who protect the owner’s investment and future-proof the facility.

🔑 Strategic Value: Specification reinforces professional authority, strengthening long-term client relationships.

📊 Strategic Impact Overview

Pillar Risk Without Specification Value With Specification
Anchor Compliance Fail inspections, legal risk Smooth approvals, liability protection
Elevate Hygiene Germ spread, user distrust Public health safeguard, confidence
Drive Sustainability Wasted water/soap, no LEED credits Resource savings, certifications
Control Costs High OPEX, frequent repairs ROI, predictable operations
Design Integrity Mismatched, poor aesthetics Cohesive brand-aligned design
Professional Trust Seen as product pickers Recognized as trusted advisors

âś… Final Takeaway

Specifying touchless faucets and soap dispensers is not just a procurement choice — it’s a strategic design decision.
When approached with rigor, specification transforms these simple fixtures into building assets that:

  • Anchor compliance,
  • Elevate hygiene,
  • Drive sustainability,
  • Control costs,
  • Reinforce design integrity, and
  • Build professional trust.

They move from being “plumbing accessories” to becoming essential components of long-term building performance and value.