Over four years ago Dolphin launched their wash wall system called Alavo. A modular, touch-free, behind-mirror handwash system keeping taps, soap dispensers and hand dryers concealed behind a back-lit mirror above the wash basin.

By saving space, minimising water and reducing queues this wash wall system benefited every user in the process from design to purchase, contract and installation, facility management and the washroom user.

By saving on space the landlord/ developer can increase the lettable floor area. Architects can shake off design restriction and be endlessly creative with this hugely customisable system. Contractors can enjoy a modular system built offsite. Facilities teams can enjoy an easy to service unit with easy to access consumables, and the washroom user enjoys an inspirational, beautiful design in the washroom making for safe, pleasant and comfortable use.

Two years later, they have listened to the market, assessed the trends and liaised with designers and developers to keep developing this customisable system to fulfill all requirements for the modern washrooms of today.

What does Alavo offer to the market now?

• Alavo Configuration Tool
• Alavo ‘Supaloo’
• Wash Troughs
• Through Mirror Lighting
• Halo Lighting
• Mirror Edging
• Square Mirrors
• InForm Tap
• Floating Tap

How Customisable is ALAVO?

Launched in September 2018, Dolphin now have their Configure Online tool which enables the online customisation of their modular Alavo system. It allows you to create bespoke designs using the interactive form, with the software building, outputting and sending drawings directly to you.

The system will then automate a unique system number to you, so that if you require an Alavo quotation, one of their dedicated Alavo specialists with talk you through the pricing of your newly built design.

What is a ‘Supaloo?’

These are unisex individual washrooms with the toilet and hand-washing facilities in one small room behind a solid lockable door. This gives the ultimate in privacy, security, space and inclusivity. By being unisex, they remove the risk of unwanted capacity due to variations in the ratio of male to female users.

Can I have Alavo in a ‘Supaloo’?

An Alavo Supaloo can allow you to showcase features such as alternating halo lighting and icon colours. These units also allow room to include a behind mirror dryer and paper towels dispenser.

Wash Troughs

In 2018, Dolphin made the acquisition of Unique Fabrications, a solid surface Fabrication Company. This acquisition allowed them access to a wide range of surface materials and finishes for their Trough basins that accompany Alavo.

A high-quality, solid surface Trough vanity basin is non-porous, stain resistant and hard-wearing, making them popular in high-traffic areas such as schools and retail centres. They are pleasing on the eye, easy to clean and come in a range of finishes to really enhance the design features of the washroom.

Benefits of a Wash Trough with an Alavo system:

• Stylish – a fully customisable design that can be completely bespoke with endless creative options such as a streamlined trough with multiple mirrored stations or single Alavo mirrors with single Troughs/ Basins.
• Safe and hygienic – By using the trough under the all-encompassing hand wash and drying Alavo unit, customers do not need to leave the sink to dry their hands so water is not spilled over the floor creating a hazardous environment.
• A long lasting, durable product.
• Easy to maintain – the basin will also be a highly used area, however with the streamlined trough, lack of grout and lines, these Troughs are easy to clean and service, ensuring the washroom looks clean and pleasant throughout the day.

What is through mirror panel lighting?

A washroom environment in any facility will have users that use the mirror to check on grooming, make-up appliance and to check appearance overall.

The light is directed towards the face which means there are no shadows. The light through the panel can also adjust the luminosity of the room depending on background design and ceiling lighting.

By re-inventing this Hollywood-style appearance in the washroom, users will benefit and come back for repeated use, thus ensuring they stay at the facilities longer. Their through panel lighting comes in one colour and is fully customisable across their range of Alavo washstations.

Their icons can be customisable, so icon colours can match the panel lighting (around the mirror Halo lighting) if that is the requirement for the design. The icons create intuitive use for the user such as soap, tap and dryers icons.

For accessories behind the mirror, you can opt for both paper towels and hand dryer or soap and tap only with dryers/paper towel dispenser located elsewhere in the washroom or soap and dryer/paper towel dispenser with visible taps.

What is Halo lighting?

Dolphin rigid LED PCB is a high power LED strip used for backlighting and edge lighting displays. It uses premium quality construction and components. The LEDs are strictly bin controlled for consistent colour temperature. If required, their ALAVO units can include a light sensor which automatically turns off all the LED lighting when the general washroom lighting is turned off, saving on energy.

The LED graphics on the mirror (icons only) and Halo lighting can be easily programmed to any colour. The lighting can stay fixed on one colour or alternate between a range of colours. Clients can use this to match Alavo to their exact brand colour, or can regularly change the colour to refresh the washroom look.

What is Mirror Edging?

This is their newest product feature that they have added to the Alavo design.

Previously, the streamlined, multi stations have proved most popular and continue to do so. However, single Alavo units in the washroom activity space (the hand washing / drying space outside the cubicle) are becoming more in demand.

With more companies asking for their washroom accessories to come in different finishes, the demand for coloured mirror edging has also increased. With mirror trim measuring at 10mm wide and can be finished in any RAL or BS colour- this is just another washroom feature that can be customised to enhance the style in the washroom or showcase brand colours.

What Accessories Can I get With Alavo?

The system is designed to ensure all water services are fully accessible for future maintenance by just unlocking the mirror flaps. The water for ALAVO can be supplied with any of the following:

• Circulating hot water loop
• Trace heating compatibility
• Point of use heating facility
• TMV3 thermostatic valves
• Single cold water feed
• Hygienic and easy to use infrared sensor tap outlets delivering a water saving of up to 65%.

The automatic foam soap dispensers dispense a premeasured quantity of foam soap when the hand is passed beneath the sensor. A ‘Soap low’ LED warning light illuminates on the mirror to warn the cleaning team that refilling is required in the near future.

For hand drying, specify high velocity hand dryers which dry hands in as little as 13 seconds, using up to 70% less energy than more conventional hand dryers. Connect into the electrical busbar running through the system enabling ease of replacement or interchange between paper towel dispensers if required.

For more information on behind mirror accessories for ALAVO click here.

For visible accessories, The Floating Tap is their only visible accessory to date that just goes straight into the module yet remains visible, meaning there is no need to puncture the splash-back. This product removes the need for requirements for any services in the service void and benefits from being integrated without the installation or maintenance hassle.

There is also their new Dolphin InForm Tap Series – design led products with cost saving and sustainable technology.

The SMART APP that connects with these luxurious taps, improves a building’s efficiency with intelligent and measurable water management reporting. It is water and Eco-management focused, providing diagnosis data and usage statistics.

The remote activation/de-activation and cleaning modes assist cleaning teams saving on time and costs. With a choice of 55° and 90° angle spouts, these taps will enhance the style of any washroom.

What sustainability statements do they offer?

Dolphin is an ISO9001 accredited company, committed to ensuring the highest quality washrooms products. They ensure overall product checks take place on completion of the whole manufacturing process, with basic tests applied to ensure the quality of the finished article.

They are also ISO4001 accredited as they aim to reduce the company’s environmental impact in a number of key areas through a sustained, measured programme focused on best practices.

They have also been awarded the Accredited Supplier Status by the Carbon Trust, a market leading scheme for high energy efficient equipment and renewable technology suppliers.

Their innovative ALAVO system can be customised with accessories from their ranges that are WRAS approved or products that make a positive contribution to BREEAM assessments.

How environmentally friendly are the products ALAVO uses?

Dolphin work in partnership with their suppliers to ensure best environmental practise is followed by both supplier or goods and services to Dolphin products.

They endeavour to minimise waste product wherever possible utilising environmentally friendly and economical disposal methods. Recycle as much waste product as possible from all sections of the company – manufacture, distribution and offices. To utilise, and to promote the use of, recycled materials wherever practicable, ensuring that, materials are disposed of in an environmentally safe manner at the end of their useful life.

What aftercare do they provide?

In addition to their normal warranty and guarantee for their ALAVO systems, they also offer a long term service contract covering the whole ALAVO system after fitting.

Their engineers will visit site at least every 3 months to service the system and ensure everything is kept in the best working order at all times. The system is still covered by guarantee without this, but it does provide extra reassurance for cleaning and facilities teams who are anxious about the new concept.

For extra reassurance, you can opt for the ‘Installation Support’ package; where their trained ALAVO fitters will have the system up and working in no time, leaving your contractors free to focus on other areas of the project.

You can view their ALAVO system at one of their showrooms. They have a showroom in Farringdon London and one in Bodiam, East Sussex.

They also offer their Dolphin Experience, where you can discover how to create better washrooms with their all-expenses-paid, in-depth Dolphin Experience.