The Quirky Journey of Preserving America’s Public Restrooms

Over the past three years, Jake Welch has embarked on a unique mission to digitally catalog the eccentricities of public restrooms across the United States. His creation, The Restroom Archive, is an online repository that showcases 3D scans of various facilities, highlighting their individual quirks in a surprisingly engaging manner.

Initially born out of a lighthearted jest, the Archive serves as a platform where users can explore a random scanned restroom along with its location and an amusing description. One such gem is the restroom at Gypsy Emporium Antique Mall in Hurricane, Utah, which features playful paintings of squirt guns on its walls and is accessed through a jail cell door.

Capturing the Essence of Public Restrooms

Welch employs smartphone photogrammetry apps like Polycam to create these 3D scans. However, the results often reflect a whimsical imperfection, with some scans appearing warped or incomplete, sometimes humorously capturing bits of the scanner's body or equipment. As a freelance designer based in New York City, Welch finds humor and artistry in the variety of restrooms he encounters, each telling a story about its culture and usage.

Encouraging Community Submissions

Recently, Welch has decided to expand his Archive to include public contributions. The submission guidelines are lenient, ensuring quality while prohibiting scans of unsightly or private restrooms. With advancements in scanning technology, Welch has a preference for using iPhone Pro models equipped with lidar, which enhances the scanning process. Despite suggestions for better scanning techniques, he embraces the quirky, 'blobby' aesthetic that characterizes his work.

The Evolution of a Digital Archive

Welch's recent site redesign reflects a commitment to treating the subject matter with a degree of seriousness, drawing inspiration from established internet archives. This shift has boosted engagement, leading to submissions from around the globe. One standout was a user-contributed scan of a restroom in Dublin, while another featured a restroom in a gutted airport basement in Tennessee, complete with ghostly remnants of plumbing.

Source: www.404media.co