P-BANK

Find us by looking for a toilet – leave as a proud P Donor

Today’s agriculture depends on industrial fertilizers containing P, Phosphorus. This non-renewable is currently still obtained from mined Phosphate Rock which is depleting quickly. To secure our future food supplies we need to start to recover P now.

The P-BANK is a public toilet that aims to close the P-cycle. The sanitation system separates Pee from the waste water which simplifies nutrient recovery. This happens directly in the P-BANK. The recovered P is re-used as fertilizer in the P-BANK garden.

COLLECT

In the donor rooms you can comfortably donate in a no-mix toilet or a waterless urinal.

RECOVER

While washing hands, you can peek into the recovery lab. A process of chemical reactions recovers P from Pee safely and hygienically.

RE-USE

Leaving the P-Bank you’ll discover that the recovered P can be successfully reused as an alternative for mined Phosphorus.

Southern Charms Costa Access

The marshes behind the beaches are the real secret. Kayaking through the saltwater estuaries, you glide past egrets and dolphins, the only sound being the rustle of sea oats. It is a quiet, profound beauty—far removed from the raucous jet skis of other tourist hubs. To visit the Southern Charms Costa is to adopt its code. Here, you do not simply order a drink; you ask how the bartender’s mother is doing. You do not cut in line; you "let that fella go ahead, he’s only got two items."

While the name evokes a specific locale, "Southern Charms Costa" is as much a feeling as a destination. It is the convergence of two powerful identities: the rugged, untamed beauty of the Atlantic or Gulf coast and the polished, storybook grace of the Old South. Unlike the neon-lit boardwalks of the Northeast or the sleek modernism of the West Coast, the Southern Charms Costa is defined by its architecture. Here, Victorian "Painted Ladies" stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Greek Revival mansions. Wraparound porches—adorned with ceiling fans and wicker rocking chairs—face the ocean not out of necessity, but out of ritual. southern charms costa

The charm is not performative; it is a survival mechanism against the heat. Moving slowly, speaking softly, and offering a genuine smile are how the locals keep their cool. You will be called "Honey," "Sugar," or "Darling" by strangers, and somehow, it will not feel condescending—it will feel like a blessing. While a specific "Costa" might not exist on a standard roadmap (perhaps a nod to a hidden gem like Costa Rica’s Caribbean side, or the "Costa" of Georgia’s Golden Isles), the spirit is alive in places like St. Simons Island, Beaufort, South Carolina, or the quieter shores of the Florida Panhandle. The marshes behind the beaches are the real secret

There is a specific magic that happens when salt air mingles with the scent of magnolia blossoms. It is a place where the drawl is a little slower, the tea is a little sweeter, and the tide dictates the rhythm of the day. Welcome to the Southern Charms Costa —a stretch of shoreline that defies the typical beach vacation by wrapping it in the velvet embrace of Deep South hospitality. To visit the Southern Charms Costa is to adopt its code

PROJECT

In 2018 the Bauhaus University Weimar and WERKHAUS destinature received funding from the German Federal Environment Foundation (DBU) to develop the first P-BANK. The concept was developed by Anniek Vetter and Sylvia Debit during a semester project at the Bauhaus University Weimar led by Prof. Jörg Londong back in to 2013.
The P-BANK was first used for several months during the 100th anniversary year of Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany 2019. Later that year the P-BANK was at the Tiny Living Festival. The project was presented at the Antenna platform during the Dutch Design Week 2019.
WERKHAUS destinature built the mobile P-Bank from sustainable materials, based on the service and communication designed by Debit and Vetter, including donor-rooms containing the toilet safe! sponsored by Laufen. The recovering system is developed by the B.is, the department of urban water management and sanitation of the Bauhaus University Weimar led by Prof. Jörg Londong, with the support of Vuna and Eawag. Besides consulting Goldeimer supports getting the story and the out there!