Smart Plumbing Solutions: How to Make the Best Use of Your Commercial Space

In today’s competitive commercial real estate market, building owners are looking for innovative ways to attract and retain tenants.

One often overlooked opportunity lies in transforming underutilized spaces into valuable amenities.

With vacuum plumbing, your waste pipes can route vertically to run through the ceiling space of the same level as the plumbing fixture instead of below the floor and in the ceiling space of the level below. Need to cross over ductwork or snake around electrical conduit? No problem. Do you want to route it up and over existing water lines? Easy.

By leveraging technology like vacuum plumbing, owners can create a more inclusive, supportive, and appealing environment for their tenants without costly and disruptive renovations.

For example, adding amenities like lactation rooms, extra bathrooms, and micro-cafés can help property owners cater to their tenants’ diverse needs and preferences, particularly those of younger generations. As Gen Z and Gen Alpha enter the workforce, they increasingly prioritize work-life balance, health and wellness, and socializing in their workplace choices.

Let’s look at a few scenarios demonstrating some key advantages of vacuum plumbing in commercial buildings.

Scenario 1: Expanding Restroom Capacity for High-Traffic Areas

With remote and hybrid work becoming the norm, many tenants need flexible meeting spaces to unite teams. Converting unused areas into conference rooms is an attractive way for building owners to increase value. However, existing restroom capacity can limit the size and usability of these new spaces.

Vacuum plumbing solves this issue by allowing owners to easily install additional bathrooms nearly anywhere without disrupting tenants on other floors.

Versatile meeting areas that appeal to tenants’ evolving needs drive demand, increase occupancy rates, and ultimately boost the property’s value in a competitive market.

Scenario 2: Employee Micro-Café on Each Floor

Older high-rises can boost employee satisfaction and collaboration by incorporating inviting micro-cafés on each floor. These compact kitchenettes are a far cry from the employee break rooms of yesteryear. Micro-cafés create opportunities for spontaneous employee connection and make the workplace more attractive.

However, installing sinks in micro-cafés in older buildings is challenging due to the limitations of gravity plumbing. Vacuum plumbing solves this by allowing waste piping to be easily routed through existing ceiling spaces on the same level of the building to remove wastewater (see image below). Landlords can provide desirable modern amenities while minimizing construction costs and tenant disturbance.

Scenario 3: Leasing Unused Basement Space

While a basement might not initially seem like a prime location, many businesses could find value in leasing a well-appointed basement space. Potential tenants that come to mind include bootstrapped startups looking for low overhead, creative professionals looking for unique studio or gallery space, fitness and wellness studios looking for an on-premises customer base, storage and inventory-based businesses, IT and tech companies who prioritize security and climate control for servers and data centers over natural light or street level access. Basements are attractive spaces for podcasting, voiceover work, or music recording due to their natural sound insulation.

Gravity-based systems make it difficult for building owners to turn basements into revenue generating space because of the costly and messy slab excavation needed to tie into underground waste piping. With vacuum plumbing, they can inexpensively add a restroom and wet bar without excavating the slab.

Scenario 4: Gender-Neutral & Family Bathrooms

As society evolves, property owners recognize the importance of providing inclusive and accommodating restroom facilities. Gender-neutral and family bathrooms create a welcoming environment for all occupants and visitors, regardless of gender identity or family structure. However, many older buildings lack the infrastructure to do so easily.

Vacuum plumbing offers a solution. This technology enables building owners to make these improvements in convenient, accessible locations. These facilities can include baby changing stations, adult changing tables, and sufficient space for caregivers to assist family members.

Scenario 5: Lactation Rooms for Nursing Mothers

Many states and cities now require employers to provide clean, private spaces for nursing mothers. Adding lactation rooms to each floor demonstrates a building’s commitment to inclusivity and employee well-being without high renovation costs. These private spaces, equipped with a sink with hot and cold water, allow mothers to easily wash their hands, clean pumping equipment, and sanitize the space between uses. Vacuum plumbing allows lactation rooms to be installed conveniently on each floor rather than limited to areas near existing plumbing stacks.

Installing lactation rooms with sinks demonstrates a building owner’s commitment to creating an inclusive and supportive environment for all occupants. Using vacuum plumbing allows owners to provide this valuable amenity cost-effectively.

From basement renovations to meeting spaces, vacuum plumbing technology opens up new possibilities for maximizing a building’s potential and helps property owners stay competitive in an evolving market where tenant expectations continue to rise. AcornVac vacuum plumbing systems ensure buildings can adapt more readily to changing workforce demographics and workplace cultures, providing long-term value and relevance far into the future.