York University

York is a leading international teaching and research university and a driving force for positive change. Founded in 1959, the University, with a diverse community and a uniquely global perspective, prepares students for their long-term careers and personal success. With multiple campuses in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and globally in Hyderabad, India, and Costa Rica, York promises excellence in research and teaching, providing its broad sociodemographic of 59,000 students access to high-quality education at a research-intensive university that is committed to enhancing the well-being of the communities it serves.

The University recently mapped out an initiative to renovate and improve more than 785 public-use restrooms throughout the campus, many of which still featured original fixtures from the 1960s. Zeidler Architecture and Quasar Consulting Group helped York develop a uniform design standard for each restroom—including fixtures, partitions, accessories, tiles, and more—to maintain consistency and simplify maintenance. When the time came to select fixtures, the University selected Sloan for many reasons—a solid relationship dating back to the 1960s, user satisfaction, and forward-thinking touchless technology.

No Need to Touch

York University has always placed a strong emphasis on restroom hygiene, so it recognized Sloan’s EFX-275 BASYS® Solar-powered Deck-mounted Faucets as the way of the future. Featuring proven Sloan technology, BASYS comes with active infrared sensing—when the user’s hands reflect the invisible light beam, the faucet initiates water flow. In addition, the University specified Sloan’s SOLIS® 8186 BT Exposed Sensor Solar-powered Urinal Flushometers and 8111 BT Exposed Sensor Solar-powered Dual Flush Water Closet Flushometers, which also operate via an infrared sensor and automatically initiate a 1.1 or 1.6 gpf flush based on how long the user remains in sensor range. Some new restrooms at York also feature Sloan’s next-generation, fully integrated AER-DEC® Sinks, which help contribute toward a more hygienic restroom experience by saving water, reducing energy consumption, and eliminating the need for paper towels.

Shaping a Solar-powered Future

York has made sustainability a university-wide priority, with restrooms playing a key role in that effort. As a result, it specified the 8111 BT Exposed Sensor Water Closet Flushometers and SOLIS 8186 BT Sensor Urinal Flushometers, both of which feature solar-powered panels with battery backup thanks to state-of-the-art photovoltaic technology. Sloan’s BASYS Deck-mounted Faucets also use solar power, helping the University remain as environmentally conscious as possible.

High Marks for Maintenance

Now that York’s restrooms include exclusively sensor-operated Sloan products, facility maintenance is much simpler. The new flushometers and faucets are Sloan Connected Products. They use Bluetooth connectivity and advanced technology to wirelessly monitor the health and status of products and spot potential issues before they happen. As a result, managing restroom usage and tracking is easier than ever.