LUC and NatSol have flushed away the competition at this year’s Loo of the Year Awards, winning Platinum for toilets in Richmond Park. The loos, which were designed and installed by Natsol, a company specialising in composting and dry toilets, have also been shortlisted for the National and UK/Ireland awards later this year.

The Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park includes spectacular woodland gardens, particularly in the late spring when the gardens are a multi-coloured mass of flowering azaleas and rhododendrons. Our project improved access to and within the gardens and to provided improved facilities that are accessible to all, including the refurbishment of an existing toilet.

An important feature of the improved access is a new toilet block which was designed to be as kind to the environment as possible. The NatSol system installed allows the toilets to be waterless and hence reduces the amount of waste that has to be stored and removed as there is no access to the main sewerage system to remove the waste. Waste produced in the toilets is stored and emptied quarterly.

We worked alongside architect Jon Bolter who designed the toilet block, while we positioned the building within the landscape.

The project was undertaken on behalf of The Royal Parks and funded by the HLF Parks for People scheme.

The awards ceremony takes place December 2 where the winners of the National and UK/Ireland competition will be announced.