Ocean Beach Comfort Station (Ocean Beach, CA) – Astra-Glaze SW+

Building a durable public restroom at the beach that can withstand abuse, vandalism, and exposure to marine elements with little or no maintenance is a challenge for any city. But creating one that looks great, is sustainable, and reflects the character of the local community is an even greater feat.

This talented Design Build Team met that challenge by using a random mosaic pattern to mimic the colors of the ocean and sky, created with four different colors of Astra-Glaze-SW® concrete masonry units (CMUs). The vandalism-resistant glazed finish of the CMU made it possible to meet the aggressive construction timeline. Since the blocks are prefinished, no additional finishing was required, reducing the installation time. The glazed CMUs also helped meet the project's sustainability goals due to its 40% pre-consumer recycled content.

To add to the artistic quality, an elevated roof was designed to allow natural ventilation with a winged pitch design that was modeled after the Ocean Beach signage that features a seagull in flight. To add even more flair, a San Diego artist was commissioned to create a colorful mural for the ceiling.

Designer: Kevin deFreitas, Kevin deFreitas Architects
Architect: Brett Tullis, Sillman Wright Architects
Engineer: Charlie Colvin, Burkett & Wong Engineers
GC: Prava Construction Services, Inc.
Masonry Contractor: Cleavneger Masonry