GROHE imagines bathrooms in 2034!

From the 'healthness' bathroom with a toilet that could pick up early signs of bowel cancer to a multi-ID bathroom with ‘personalised’ settings that can be stored on a cloud and used anywhere, a new study from world leading sanitary fittings brand GROHE presents four possible scenarios for the bathroom of the future.

GROHE has once again proved its commitment to innovative design by partnering with esteemed ceramics maker Villeroy & Boch and the influential Frankfurt-based think tank Zukunftsinstitut, to imagine 'bathrooms of the future'. In the study, titled: 'Bathrooms in 2034 - the centre of new living universes', experts propose four futuristic bathroom scenarios based on the projections of today's major trends, as well as the results of an online survey of 1,075 individuals in Germany.

According to the survey, sixty per cent of respondents desire a bathroom that meets the needs of everybody living in the household. By 2034 this could be a reality, as we will be living in a technologically 'smart' home. In the Multi-ID bathroom, all elements will adjust automatically to a user’s favourite settings when they enter the room - from the temperature to music and coloured lighting, from the height of the wash basin and toilet, to preferred surfaces such as wood, stone or tiles – all of which would be projected onto screens with high degree realism.

Depending on who is using the bathroom, certain elements disappear behind the wall or rise up from the floor. The bathtub will double as a seating area, the wash basin as a make-up studio, and the mirror as a news screen. Many fittings will be multi-functional, with the hand shower dispensing shampoo, and the shower doubling as a full-body drier.

The Multi-ID Bathroom will also be possible in hotels and offices thanks to cloud-based technologies; individuals will be able to activate their personal bathroom settings anywhere. Bathroom products already exist which incorporate similar digital technology, such as GROHE SPA® F-digital products, which give users finger-tip access to their favourite shower temperature or pre-set water delivery programmes at the wash basin.

The 'Healthness' Bathroom is based on the statistics that almost half of respondents would like to have a bathroom that incorporates health-oriented features. Elements installed throughout the ‘Healthness’ Bathroom can measure bodily functions and collect vital data for the user: the toilet can analyse urine and stools, the toothbrush can collect information from saliva and blood readings can be taken using non-invasive methods.

Paul Flowers, Chief Design Officer at GROHE and LIXIL Group, comments: “The bathroom of the future becomes a perfect place for health diagnostics - thanks to what I call 'active digitality' i.e. the production of data for further use. The visualisation of health data in the bathroom will play an important role. We have large expanses of glass and ceramics; there are mirrors and other surfaces onto which the information can be projected in the form of icons or plain text messages. Even some kind of audio feedback is imaginable.”

In the Healthness bathroom, individuals can improve their health using interactive apps, helping us to feel fit and well for longer. An on-screen avatar will motivate us to exercise by demonstrating routines and awarding us digital badges when we meet goals. Web-based technologies will provide online access to the nearest pharmacy, live chats with doctors and recommendations of the best restaurants for healthy lunches.

75% of survey respondents consider energy savings and efficiency when remodelling a bathroom; by 2034, bathrooms will have a positive environmental impact. Engineered as self-contained pods, they will no longer depend on connection to public water and energy networks, and will incorporate one of today’s most important trends: neo-ecology.

The Zero Emissions Bathroom will allow us to take a shower or bath several times a day without causing detrimental effects to the environment. The bathroom will function as a heat-recuperator and water treatment facility by converting waste water into methane which is then used to generate heat. Actual sewage will be minimised by vacuum toilet technology.

Bathroom design and décor will also centre on sustainability: natural and non-toxic materials such as wood and clay will make a come-back, with 63% of people already appreciating their qualities in the bathroom. By the year 2034, these preferences will lead to bathroom designs that blend sustainability, luxury and innovation.

71% of respondents want a bathroom that is devoted to relaxation and “me time”: the Selfness 2034 bathroom will become a modern spa that will help its users to recharge. Using audio equipment, mood lighting, aromatherapy and scenic backdrops projected onto the walls, the bathroom will ensure ultimate relaxation for its users. GROHE’s F-digital Deluxe already allows individuals to utilise coloured lighting, steam and music in their showers, to create a personal spa at home.

The Selfness bathroom will encourage users to relax and recuperate: a variety of digital programmes will convert the room into a yoga studio or spa lounge. A Selfness ensuite bathroom could extend its peaceful atmosphere into the bedroom to ensure a restful sleep.

Paul Flowers comments: “Time has become an increasingly scarce resource as people tend to work longer hours and have more stressful days at the office or on the road. This is why the bathrooms in their homes play such a special role in their lives. More often than not, it is the only room in the house with an actively-used lock - it is our last refuge within our own four walls. As such the bathroom continues to evolve from a rational and utility-oriented place for hygiene and body care to a more emotional space where we can enjoy 'me time', lock out the outside world, relax and regenerate.”

As the exact future cannot be predicted, the actual bathroom of 2034 will probably be a hybrid of the above. Multi-functionality will be key as the future bathroom adapts to users' evolving busy lifestyles. GROHE is ready to adjust to and pioneer any future developments.