this post was submitted on 27 Aug 2023
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It’s both a hazard for emergencies as well as a hygienic nightmare. We all see the people leaving without washing their hands!

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[–] [email protected] 112 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Primary traffic routes during an emergency have priority. It is a hazard for doors to open into a hallway.

[–] [email protected] 46 points 1 year ago (1 children)

US based architect here: this is the correct answer

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[–] [email protected] 104 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Inner doors should swing inward because in case of a fire or other emergency, you don't want to be trapped inside by something blocking the door that you cannot deal with. Even in something were preventing it from swinging open (like a rope or whatever), in theory the person could still get out because the door hinge would be located on their side and they could simply remove it.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Also because the hinge would have to be on the outside if swinging outward and thus not be securable. As the hung pins could be removed and door opened while locked.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

In large building some code requires exterior doors to swing out as pressure build on a fire could jam the door closed. Also some exits require push bar which is swing out.

The in swing though makes sense for more smaller buildings and internal doors. Not wacking people and not getting blocked in seems the better method.

[–] [email protected] 92 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We have outwards opening bathroom doors in the office and they're great for giving people concussions and bumps on their head, as well as knocking coffees out of people's hands. When we pass these doors in the hallway we put our hands up like our abusive dad went for a high five.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Your local Fire Marshall would like to know your location.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

TBH I want to know where they were when this building was built. Who came up with this and who allowed it?

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[–] [email protected] 66 points 1 year ago (4 children)

OP you clearly have no clue what you are talking about. Safety if number one reason, slamming the open-door in people walking outside the door is another. You can defend against someone forcing their way in, by using your body weight against door, something you can not do if it swings outward. Odor control is another issue, door swing outward will release the smell into next room, rather than contain it with the swing inward. Finally, this has nothing to do with architects or interior designer, this is a building code bylaw, as accessibility demand the door swing inward for people in a wheelchair so they can operate it.

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[–] [email protected] 40 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I’m not an expert (at all), but I presume that opening a door into a thoroughfare risks hitting someone with the door but opening into a room only risks a person ready to leave (and approaching the door head on?)

Just thoughts…

[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (6 children)

One compromise might be touchless door handles

I've also seen these at my school, but it doesn't work for all doors since the door needs to be light enough

Neither of these are that accessible though, and I can't find photos of the better ones

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

accessibility shouldn't prevent improvements, we can just add the foot handles and handicapped people simply keep operating doors like they currently do.

They'll still be exposed to fewer germs so they benefit anyways.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

That's fair, both options can exist at the same time in this case

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Or people could simply wash their damn hands...

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Have you met people? They don't do that.

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[–] [email protected] 33 points 1 year ago

You reminded me of something I learned about back when I worked at Disney - most of the bathroom doors on property swing the way you're complaining about for reasons I can't remember but might be because you're supposed to have clean hands when exiting the bathroom (wash your damn hands!). But Disney's Animal Kingdom is different, because if an animal gets loose the bathrooms are designed to keep animals out, most animals are going to have trouble figuring out how to pull open the door to get into the bathroom. Good to know in case their new batch of cheetahs also figures out how to escape.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We need those cool and unnecessarily complicated sci-fi doors that open with multiple stages or like a camera aperture or a Stargate iris.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Fuck that. I want the swish sound sliding doors from the original series of trek.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

No. Every. Single. Door has an automated 30 second vault-like opening sequence.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Yes, this every time you go to the bathroom.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I want the doors from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy that make a sigh sound when they open.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago

Bathrooms with pull to open handle doors without paper towels are the worst.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 year ago

Ones who want to make it less likely that people get barricaded into a bathroom.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 year ago

I can't imagine being one of those people that freak out over the littlest thing. I always imagine invader Zim when he learns about germs.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My favorite is bathrooms where you can stand at the urinal and make eye contact with people in the dining room everytime the door opens.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Use a paper towel to grab the door handle so you don't have to touch it directly.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Or you could tear the Dyson hand dryer off the wall and carefully jimmy the door open with it

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

Fuck those things.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

I like the way you think! Please tell me you run a commagazine with more wonderful tips and tricks like this :D

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I believe it's to do with hand cleanliness. When you enter, you push the door as your hands are dirty (maybe shove it with your arm or something), then when you leave your hands are (supposed to be) clean so you pull the door as it's a nice clean handle to grab.

I don't get it either, but that's what I've heard as the reason.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago (3 children)

So then we need saloon doors that swing both ways?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Now I have this mental image of people coming in and out of the toilets triumphantly through saloon style doors after doing business

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I live in Texas, and I feel like I've seen this before. Not necessarily the bathroom itself but in the little hallway that leads to the bathrooms.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago

If I'm sure about one thing, it's that people are disgusting. I'd much rather avoid touching the door after using the toilet when my hands are clean. And even in the case that the door is disgusting, you can wash your hands both before and after.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago

Someone might correct me, but if I remember correctly it's something to do with air flow as well

[–] HobbitFoot 4 points 1 year ago

Architects are psychopaths. So most of them?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Thank you! Same exact thought, I was telling my friends this a while back, and they said I was making no sense

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I've only seen doorless toilets in large well ventilated spaces such as some train stations. I don't think that would go well inside a shopping mall or a restaurant

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