Design Dialogues: Interviews with Architects Who Specify Fontana Touchless Systems

Understanding the Design Context

Touchless faucet and soap dispensing systems are no longer considered luxury options in modern commercial and institutional bathrooms. Rather, they are considered expected components of a well-integrated building systems strategy for architects and engineers in projects dealing with airports, higher-education facilities, healthcare environments, and high-occupancy office buildings. These professionals are increasingly framing such systems not as isolated fixtures but as part of an integrated approach to accessibility, water efficiency, durability, and controls.

This article synthesizes recurring themes from project interviews with architects who regularly specify Fontana touchless systems for commercial and institutional environments. The focus is on specification logic: performance criteria, code and standard alignment, and coordination with other building systems.

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Specification Drivers in Commercial and Institutional Projects

Balancing Code Compliance, Performance, and User Experience

Architects report that touchless systems are usually introduced into the project brief through three main drivers:

Regulatory and guideline expectations

Accessibility: Ensuring ADA and other accessibility-related standards compliance drives the placement of controls, reach ranges, and operating forces required at lavatories and handwash stations.

Water efficiency: Those jurisdictions that reference WaterSense-labeled faucets and fittings, or adopt prescriptive flow-rate limits (e.g., 0.5 gpm at public lavatories), push the design team toward high-efficiency, sensor-controlled systems.

Various sustainability frameworks: CALGreen, LEED, and others tend to promote low-flow fixtures, automatic shutoff, and metering strategies.

Operational requirements

Owners and operators want to minimize maintenance calls, reduce leakage, and enhance lifecycle reliability. Architects design these touchless systems as long-term infrastructure rather than interchangeable decorative products.

Hygiene and risk management

While certainly not the sole factor, designers continually reference the ability to reduce touch points and limit potential cross-contamination as a base expectation for new institutional restrooms.

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Accessibility and Human Factors

ADA Considerations at the Lavatory

Architects point out that specifying touchless systems does not eliminate the need for careful dimensional coordination. Key ADA-related considerations mentioned in interviews include:

• Clear floor space and approach: Fixture location must maintain required clear floor space under and in front of lavatories, with knee and toe clearance where appropriate. Touchless hardware—spout, sensor window, and soap outlet—must be coordinated with counter thickness and basin geometry.
• Reach ranges: Sensor locations are within the forward reach range of 15–48 inches AFF, based on which ADA and ANSI A117.1 criteria is being applied to the project. Architects stress the importance of confirming sensor locations and soap outlets meet the touch and reach requirements for both adults and kids for K–12 or pediatric applications.
• Controls and force: Even when the “control” is electronic, settings and maintenance access points must still meet operability requirements. Where manual overrides or mechanical mixing valves are accessible to users, architects verify that they can be operated with one hand and without tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist, and within the maximum operating force limits described in the applicable standards.

The consensus is that touchless systems can simplify compliance if carefully coordinated, but poor layout—such as mounting sensors too far from the front edge or misaligning spout and basin—can quickly introduce usability issues for people with limited reach or balance.

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Water Efficiency and Regulatory Alignment

Flow Rates, WaterSense, and CALGreen

Architects working in states with strict water codes describe a straightforward specification path:

• Flow rate selection: For commercial restrooms, they usually aim for a maximum of 0.5 gpm at 60 psi, in line with WaterSense and CALGreen prescriptive limits in many jurisdictions.
• Metering and run-time control: Touchless systems allow for fixed run times and “on-demand” flow, reducing the possibility of faucets being left on. Engineers will specify default and maximum run-time parameters, often in concert with plumbing design criteria.
• Selection of WaterSense-aligned products: Where an owner requires WaterSense or equivalent performance, architects give priority to systems that have tested flow performance with built-in flow regulators.

The design teams consider water efficiency as part of a system-level calculation rather than a single product feature. On higher-education and airport projects, plumbing engineers will sometimes model anticipated fixture usage profiles, run times, and diversity factors to quantify water savings at a building or concourse scale.

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Mechanical, Electrical, and Controls Integration

Power, Low-Voltage Coordination, and Redundancy

From an engineering perspective, touchless systems are electromechanical devices that need coordination with both plumbing and electrical trades. Architects interviewed identified a number of recurring coordination points:

Power strategy:

Battery-only systems are common for retrofit projects or locations with limited ceiling access, but architects stress the importance of accessible battery compartments and clearly documented replacement intervals.

Hardwired low-voltage systems are preferred for many new institutional projects, particularly those with several grouped faucets and dispensers. This supports centralized power supplies in accessible ceiling zones and may reduce long-term maintenance.

Redundancy and failure modes: The specifications often clarify the course of action at power failure or in case of a sensor fault. Engineers also need clear documentation of fail-safe positions, such as normally closed solenoid valves, and manual overrides for critical healthcare or laboratory installations.

Cable routing and terminations: On those projects with solid-surface or stone tops, routing sensor cables, power leads and solenoid connections within tight cavities can be difficult. Architects, therefore, encourage factory-assembled, plug-type connections, along with concise submittal drawings showing cable-routing geometry.

Integration with Central BMS and Data Platforms

For larger facilities, there is increasing discussion of touchless faucets and dispensers in the context of broader building telemetry:

Remote status monitoring: Facility teams want to know which valves, sensors, or soap reservoirs need service before failures become visible to occupants. Depending on system complexity, this may be implemented with dry-contact outputs, BACnet/IP gateways, or proprietary APIs.

Event logging and trend data: Engineers sometimes specify fixture systems that have the capability for logging usage counts, flow volumes, or fault codes. These data streams can feed the Building Management System or separate maintenance platforms for predictive maintenance.

Cybersecurity and network segmentation: With IP-connected touchless systems, the IT consultant and the MEP team work together to establish proper network segmentation, authentication, and processes for updating firmware in the controllers, considering them IoT devices within the cyber-physical ecosystem of the building.

Architects repeatedly point out that these integration needs must be specified early-preferably at schematic design-so that ceiling space, power, data, and access panels are designed around the selected system architecture.

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Resistance of Materials to Vandalism

Material Systems and ASME-Related Performance Expectations

Many of the architects interviewed reference the ASME standards for plumbing fixture performance and mechanical robustness when reviewing submittals. Specific standards vary by fixture type, but the themes are consistent:

• Body and finish durability: Cast brass bodies, heavy-duty mounting hardware, and corrosion-resistant finishes are specified for high-traffic restrooms. Architects consider not only the appearance of a finish but also its durability related to cleaning agents used in an institutional environment.
• Impact and tamper resistance: Transportation hubs, stadiums, and selected educational facilities have vandal resistance as a core design requirement. Architects look for documented performance under abusive conditions, which includes resistance to prying, twisting, and impact at spouts, sensors, and soap nozzles.
• Seal integrity and leak paths: Gaskets, O-rings, and mechanical joints should be designed in concert at deck penetrations and within the valve assembly. Section diagrams and exploded views are frequently requested from engineers who need to understand potential leak paths and service procedures.

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Lifecycle, Maintainability, and Spare Parts Strategy

Architects emphasize that specifying a touchless system is only the first step; long-term maintainability is equally important:

• Standardized components across a facility: Many owners prefer consistent valve, sensor and controller platforms across multiple buildings to simplify maintenance training and spare-part inventory.
• Accessible service points: Engineers verify submittals to ensure that solenoid valves, mixing valves and controllers are accessible from mechanical chases, ceiling spaces, or lockable access panels without having to remove casework or break finishes.
• Documented maintenance intervals: The design teams count on clear documentation of intervals for cleaning filters, sensor recalibration procedures (if required), and battery replacement. Usually, this information is embedded in the commissioning plan and O&M manuals.

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Coordination With Adjacent Systems and Surfaces

Basin Geometry, Splash Control, and Drain Sizing

Architects note that performance with touchless faucets is closely connected to basin geometry:

• Spout projection and angle: Correct projection avoids splashing of water towards the user and onto the surrounding countertop. Designers simulate the handwashing reach and trajectory of the water to align the sensor-activation zone with the center of the usable bowl area.
• Basin shape and depth: Shallow, sculptural basins can be visually dramatic but result in splash and noise if not matched to appropriate flow rates and aeration patterns; engineers commonly recommend test mockups, especially for public lobby restrooms.
• Drain capacity: The sizing of drains shall take into consideration peak simultaneous discharge conditions but, in particular, where several faucets may discharge into one channel.

Soap Dispenser Integration and Cross-System Coordination

Where touchless soap dispensers are specified along with touchless faucets, interviewed architects emphasize that treating them as an integrated system is key:

• Spatial Alignment: The soap outlet should be coordinated such that soap falls in the same effective handwashing area as the water stream to minimize drips on either the counter or the floor.
• Refill logistics: For high-volume facilities, the method of soap replenishment—bottle, cartridge, or centralized reservoir—must align with janitorial practices. Access from under-counter cabinets or secure back-of-house chases is planned during design.
• Consistency of sensor behavior: Architects like to have similar response times, similar detection ranges, and the same indicator logic throughout (LEDs, beeps, etc.) across both faucet and dispenser in most instances.

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Approaches to Documentation and Specification

CSI Specification Sections and Submittal Requirements

Designers typically specify touchless systems in Division 22 Plumbing. Common specification sections include Section 22 42 00 Plumbing Fixtures, or other project-specific sections. Typical specification elements would include Performance criteria include flow rates, supply pressures, temperature limits, and run-time parameters. Comply with ADA criteria where relevant, WaterSense equivalence or labeling where applicable; CALGreen-related flow limits; ASME standards relevant to performance and safety. Materials: The body and finish requirements for the job, fitting materials, and any antimicrobial or specialty coatings that are required. Electrical and controls: power type, voltage, control interfaces, and any required BMS/BACnet requirements. Submittals: Shop drawings, wiring diagrams, sample finish submittals, operation and maintenance data, and commissioning procedures. Architects interviewed underscore how a clear, concise specification is critical for aligning owner, contractor, and trades’ expectations. They focus on quantifiable performance data, test reports, and third-party certifications where relevant, rather than on marketing descriptions.

Conclusion

Conclusion Architects who specify Fontana touchless systems for a broad range of commercial and institutional projects can approach these products not as discrete fixtures but as part of a coordinated building subsystem. Their design dialogues are about accessibility and ADA alignment, water efficiency under WaterSense- and CALGreen-type frameworks, mechanical and electrical integration, long-term durability consistent with ASME-informed expectations, and precise coordination with basins, casework, and BMS infrastructure. The takeaway for the design teams working on new or renovated facilities is to treat the systems of touchless faucets and soaps as engineered components with defined performance, controls, and integration requirements. When addressed early in the project and documented rigorously, these systems can support long-term operational resilience, regulatory compliance, and a consistently usable experience for all occupants.