The triangle lengths are calculated from the centre of each appliance, as shown in Figure 5. So even though we are working on a fairly large family kitchen layout, we can keep it efficient by following the kitchen triangle rule. FIGURE 5 – Work Triangle Between Sink, Cooker and Refrigerator Shorter distance means that we don’t have enough work surface space, whereas longer distance means that we’ll just end up walking around too much every time we cook a meal. As a rule of thumb, when we add the lengths together, the sum should not be less than 3.5 meters, and no more than 6.5 meters. The work triangle is the relationship between three of the main appliances used in the kitchen – the refrigerator, sink, and the cooker. The recommended distance between the two is no longer than 1.8 meters. This is because nobody wants to carry around heavy pans from sink to the hob longer than they have to. The distance between the preparation area (number 3) and the wet zone (number 2) should be minimal. For instance, the sink is used both for preparation and washing up, and the flow of tableware and crockery to and from the dishwasher and the table. Having said that, there’s always going to be crossing some of the activities. In other words, to arrange the kitchen in a way that the listed tasks can be carried out with least possible effort. So how does all this effect the design process? Well, the idea is to design a layout where cross circulation is as minimal as possible. Wash up – waste disposal, loading dishwasher, hand washing, draining, putting away Once these steps are completed, you usually go through the return sequence as follows Ĭlear – removing dirty dishes to sink and dishwasher, returning uneaten food to refrigerator and cupboards. Serve – dishing up food, keeping food hot, toasting bread, storing cutlery, crockery and condiments.Cook – hob for boiling and frying, grill for grilling and browning, oven for baking and roasting, microwave oven for defrosting, fast cooking and heating.Prepare – weighing, mixing cake and pastry making.Wash – washing, peeling, chopping, sieving food, dishwashing.Store – unloading and unwrapping of food, storing in refrigerator/freezer/ larder/cupboards.We can break these down into six main steps, which are explained below This means all the steps from walking in with the groceries, storing the produce, to prepping, cooking, eating, and to eventually cleaning it all away. The work sequence is the order of activities involved in preparing food. To help us understand these principles a little better, we’ll be using the kitchen floorplan below as our example. These are not building regulations that you absolutely must follow – just think of them as design guidelines to help you design a more efficient kitchen. The two main principles in kitchen design are the work sequence and the kitchen triangle. Although the design will always vary according to each clients specific needs, there are some underlying principles that can be applied to any design. Our imaginary client in this case is a family of three, who like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen either cooking or hosting dinner parties. Think of it like a natural flow from one task to another. By efficiency, I mean the level of ease you are able to carry out the daily tasks in the kitchen. The aim here is to apply few well known design principles to come up with a practically efficient kitchen. FIGURE 1 – The Family Kitchen DESIGN INTENT In this post we’ll discover the two main kitchen design principles that will help you design a more efficient kitchen – called the work sequence and the kitchen triangle. So given the importance of the kitchen, it should be designed and made to suit your specific needs. It’s not only where we cook, but where we entertain friends and family, start our mornings and where we relax after a long day and our dinner.
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