Working hand in hand, furniture designers work closely with a client to make a structural shell into a livable home. Nowhere is this more evident than in the heart of any London home, the kitchen.
One vital decision is the layout of the kitchen. When planning out every detail of your new Italian kitchen with a designer, it is worth taking an architectural approach.
An architectural approach to kitchen design
Before anyone lifts a drill or hammer, an architect will know the layout of the entire space exactly. From the early conceptual stages, architects need to consider kitchen design and installation.
Planning for a new kitchen begins long before any contractors and installation teams arrive. The plumbing, extraction and electric fittings need to be planned into building blueprints long before planning permission is requested on a new or renovated building.
If amendments are needed to existing drainage, electrical circuits and ventilation, they need to be factored in around structural supports, existing pipes and electrical cabling.
Spatial planning and integrating the kitchen into the structure of the building will allow the kitchen to feel like more than just an aesthetic consideration with beautiful cabinets. The flow of movement across and around the space is something an architect needs to consider.
In kitchen design, this means analysing the ‘working triangle’.
What is the working triangle?
The working triangle consists of the three most used areas of the kitchen: the stove, the fridge and the sink. They reflect how the work areas are used: for cooking, storage and cleaning.
The work areas are situated to provide maximum efficiency without feeling cramped. Drawing a line between the three work areas creates a triangle shape that ideally shouldn’t be less than 1.2 metres and no more than 2.7metres on each side.
Distances between the three points can determine how ergonomic and easy to use the kitchen is, reducing frustration and cross-overs.
Once these three elements are fixed on the layout, storage and other white goods can be built around them.
What is the origin of the working triangle?
Concepts and theories about a functional kitchen triangle are thought to have developed in the US in the early 20th century.
Post-war housing needed to be cheap and compact. Researchers at the University of Illinois School of Architecture came up with a way to standardise kitchen construction, which helped to reduce costs.
Is the working triangle still relevant today?
Today, the rules about distancing between the stove, fridge and sink are not so rigidly adhered to as much. Kitchens in open-plan living areas and larger apartments and homes have more flexibility and space.
However, the principle of the triangle, making it easier to move within the space and have everything you need within reach, is still important.
Balancing kitchen functionality and beauty
Research into the optimisation of kitchen design concludes that the layout of key kitchen items is critical.
However, it also suggests that while strategic placement of work areas is important for efficiency in the space, an equal consideration should be given to visual appeal and comfort.
The balance needs to be struck between aesthetic value in a kitchen and practicality; it is, after all, a functional space designed to support your needs and your way of living.