Divine loo design

The archloo, which dots the Zululand rural landscape and mostly boasts a nice green view of Zululand

Dalena van Jaarsveld

ZULULANDERS all know the ‘bush loo’.
Even if they don’t know what it is, they would have spotted these igloo-like constructions dotting the landscape on a trip deeper into the area, wondering what they are and why each house has one.
But few Zululanders know the simple science yet complicated details of its design - not to mention the personal stories connected to its origin.

The secret of the loo’s success, according to Zululand-born designer and engineer Dr Peter Glover, lies in the easy construction and hygienic implications.
Instead of heavy and expensive bricks and building materials, these loos can be constructed with hessian, nails, a single wooden frame and a minimal amount of cement.
It doesn’t smell, it lasts long and it requires no chemicals.
Glover says there are a number of health considerations which make the archloo more hygienic than other pit latrines.
For one, the pit is directly below the seat so there is reduced fouling at the opening which in turn doesn’t attract a lot of flies.
The unique vent plays a big role - it is large, allowing lots of light but keeping out flies and the size and height of the vent means that there is a continual air flow, removing all smells.
The pit is round, making it stable and less likely to collapse and also giving it large volume.
The archloo was also designed to incorporate a hand washing facility - something not common in usual bush toilets.

The church
Best of all is the inspiration behind the loo - a church. Glover was born in Nongoma where his parents were missionaries in the 60s. During this time his father, a self supporting priest - Reverend Michael Glover - built the St Margaret’s Church in Nongoma according to the same arch principle and it served as an inspiration for the loo.
‘It (the church) was so strong, so beautiful and so cheap,’ he explains in an e-mail interview.
The ‘archloo’, as Glover dubbed it, was created by Glover Development Engineers, of which Dr Peter Glover, his late wife Stephanie and his father were all directors.
Glover designed it with the objective of making sanitation easy for rural people. One of the things that made the loo so easy to copy, says Glover, is that it takes less than a week to construct and the materials are not only cheap and light but easy to acquire.
Glover did not do it single-handedly, though.
The Zululand Regional Council, Mvula Trust and Makheta Development Consultants have played a big role in training people to construct the loos as well as spreading the word about its practicality.
The real test, though, is going inside for a look.
One may expect a foul smell, for no matter how hygienic a toilet is, a pit latrine is known for its smell. Think again. Pick a random one in the countryside and do what the Zululand Observer did: ask the owners for a peek inside. You will marvel at the fact that it smells better than a public toilet.