The shared bathrooms at Balassa János Hostel were renovated over the summer, on every floor of the building. The work covered both the showers and the toilets, and included new tiling, new fittings and a new ventilation system.
Balassa is an eight-storey building with 374 places. Rooms are for two people and have a washbasin, while showers and toilets are shared and located on each floor. These are the most heavily used spaces in the building, so their condition has a direct effect on everyday comfort.
Fresh air, all the time
The most noticeable improvement is one that is easy to overlook at first glance: the bathrooms now have a ventilation system that keeps the air moving continuously and warms the fresh air before it enters the room.
In practice this means:
- steam clears quickly after showering, and mirrors and surfaces stay dry;
- the rooms stay comfortable in winter;
- the air stays fresh even during the busiest hours;
- dry, well-ventilated rooms are easier to keep clean.
Good ventilation also helps keep the building in good condition over the years.
Part of a longer process
Balassa is a practical building rather than an apartment-style dormitory: the rooms are simple, and the kitchens, showers and toilets are shared. Within that framework, the University has been improving it step by step. The room furniture and equipment were replaced under the Modern Cities Programme, which also covered the shared spaces -the kitchens, the laundry room, the study rooms and the common room. The bathrooms were the part still waiting, and they have now been done.
From day one
Everything was completed in time for the start of the academic year, so the new bathrooms are ready to use as you move in. If you find anything that needs attention, please tell the reception or the dormitory manager rather than waiting for someone else to report it – the sooner we know, the sooner it gets fixed.