The concept of a kitchen work triangle does not work in every situation. In this layout, the thinking went, the cook didnt have to go far. Galley a galley kitchen, also referred to as a straight kitchen, is a kitchen in which the counters are arranged in two facing lines. The dominant geometric shapes in most kitchens are the foursided variety, from. The idea is that when these three elements are in close but not too. More accurately, why the kitchen work triangle doesnt work anymore. Think beyond the basic work triangle, kitchens come in all shapes from the spacesaving galley to wraparound u or lshaped kitchens to cook spaces that are curvy, pentagonal, wedgeshaped or completely outside the box.
No work triangle leg may intersect an islandpeninsula or other obstacle by more than 12. The kitchen work triangle is a concept used to determine efficient kitchen layouts that are both. The good news is that this design idea is relatively intuitive and revolves around the simple idea of creating the most efficient kitchen and eliminating wasted steps. For comfort and safety, the sum of the three distances should be no more than 26 feet, and each stretch of the triangle should measure between 4 and 9 feet, even. Sep 17, 2015 the kitchen work triangle concept dates from the 1940s when kitchens were rapidly modernizing and transitioning from a free standing sink, oven and hoosier cupboard with fold out work surface this glimmering pink vision of the american dream. So while the kitchen triangle is a starting point after we. These three points and the imaginary lines between them make up the work triangle.
The kitchen work triangle refers to the area from the refrigerator to the cooking range to the sinkthe three points are the three corners of the triangle. Kitchen work triangle and how it benefits your kitchen. The total distance between all three points should fall between 12 and 26 ft. The idea of the kitchen work triangle originated in the 1940s when kitchens were very small and appliances were generally very large. Some kitchen floor plans are much better than others because they allow the work to flow more smoothly. The work triangle is the imaginary line drawn between the 3 major work stations in a kitchen. There actually are several universally agreed upon guidelines to follow when designing a kitchen work triangle. The importance of planning the kitchen work triangle into your kitchen design this entry was posted in uncategorized on february 7, 2017 by oneseo having easy access to every facet of your kitchen is absolutely necessary. The distances between the three primary work centers cooking surface, cleanupprep sink and refrigeration storage form a work triangle. Cabinets or other obstacles should not intersect any leg of the triangle by more than 12 inches 30 cm.
The work triangle is a concept employed by kitchen designers to make work more efficient in the kitchen and prevent wasted motion. Now, adding an island changes the way a family uses the kitchen. The work triangle also gives you enough room to avoid bumping elbows with your cooking partner. A staple design principle, the kitchen work triangle was developed in the early 20 th century. It began as an attempt to standardize home construction. The kitchen work triangle kitchen simplicity by design.
This floor plan produces the kitchens work triangle. The distances between the three primary work centers cooking surface, cleanup prep sink and refrigeration storage form a work triangle. In this modestly sized kitchen, an island food prep zone with its own sink and great access to the refrigerator creates a second work triangle, allowing two cooks to work effectively in one space. This way, youll be able to serve large amounts of customers in a short time. When planning out your kitchen layout, think about the. But the introduction of new appliances, along with changes in the way we work in the kitchen, can make applying the traditional triangle concept a challenge. A major appliance and its surrounding landing work area form a work center. The work triangle is an important design concept that improves a kitchens functionality by minimizing walking distance between the sink, refrigerator, and primary cooking surface. And why the kitchen work triangle doesnt work moss. Kitchen layout ideas the kitchen layout is the shape that is made by the arrangement of the countertop, significant appliances and storage areas. Basically, the work triangle creates a more efficient work space. According to the guidance of the national kitchen and bath association, each leg of the triangle. If youre about to embark on a kitchen remodeling journey, a simple design concept that will save you time and energy is the work triangle. Microsoft word cognitive triangle worksheet coping and processing.
Your kitchen is an extension of your living space and one of the most used rooms of your home. The modern kitchen is much more than a workspace, people spend more time in the kitchen socially not just to prepare food, but the principles of the kitchen work triangle are still important. This is where two adjacent walls form a natural triangle. The kitchen work triangle is a design concept that can help create efficient use of kitchen work spaces.
Of course all of these areas would be useless without a countertop to work on but still. Oct 06, 2016 the work triangle also gives you enough room to avoid bumping elbows with your cooking partner. Ideally, each leg of the work triangle should measure between 4 and 9 feet in length. The main functions in the kitchen take place at the cook top, sink and refrigerator. When the number o f legs of the kitchen work triangle is m ore than three, length of each additional leg must not be more than 274cm and less than 122cm. No work triangle leg intersects an islandpeninsula or other obstacle by more than 12. A major appliance and its surrounding landingwork area form a work center. The sum of all three sides of the triangle should be between feet 4. It is the path that you make when moving from the refrigerator, to the sink, to the variety to prepare a. Work trianlge is the path you walk between refrigerator, sink and cooktop. What is the kitchen work triangle kitchen work triangle, l. The work triangle, consisting of sink, stove, and refrigerator, has long been a basic of good kitchen design. The work triangle is the total distance between the primary sink, stove and refrigerator. Aug 20, 2017 the work triangle was born, comprising your kitchens heavy appliance hitters the sink, refrigerator, and stove spaced equilaterally apart.
Each leg of the triangle should be between 4 and 9 feet long. The kitchen work triangle concept has been around since 1929. No leg of the triangle should be less than 4 feet 1. The work triangle should not cut through an island or peninsula by more than 12 inches.
The goal was to show that by designing and building a kitchen with efficiency in mind, overall construction costs could be reduced. In kitchens, arguably more than any other room, a good space plan is critical. Most kitchens fall into one of the following types. The kitchen triangle is still valid after all we still have a cooking surface, sink and refrigerator but we also have ovens separated from the cooking surface, dishwashers, recycling, more appliances, maybe people cooking together and people keeping us company in the kitchen. This layout offers flexibility in arrangement of kitchen space. This is a situation whereby the refrigerator, range and sink are positioned 4 to 9 feet apart, forming a more or less equilateral triangle. There should be easy movement between the three placesand there shouldnt be too much distance between them. Pdf determining effects of kitchen design rules on kitchen. The work triangle is the recommended relationship used in kitchen design between the cooking, storage and preparation areas. One floor plan fundamental is an effective work triangle, which is the relationship between your cooktop, refrigerator and sink. No major traffic patterns should cross through the work triangle. The more that the range, refrigerator and sink are located so that each is at the point of a triangle, the better.
What is the kitchen work triangle kitchen work triangle. Today wed like to take the opportunity to kill the idea of the kitchen work triangle as a design tool that is out of date and should be out of our thinking process. Apr 30, 2018 the concept of the kitchen work triangle was developed in the 1940s by the university of illinois school of architecture. Kitchen design guidelines to know before you remodel. Get 22 page pdf on the beginners guide to kitchen layout.
Challengin g your thinking mistakes feeling thinking doing event thoughts feelings behaviors something happens i tell myself something i feel something i do something. Nov 25, 2014 a guide to kitchen layouts think beyond the basic work triangle, kitchens come in all shapes from the spacesaving galley to wraparound u or lshaped kitchens to cook spaces that are curvy, pentagonal, wedgeshaped or completely outside the box. The idea is that when these three elements are close but. A kitchen work triangle establishes an efficient flowof work pattern by providing a logical arrangement of acitvity centers within an optimum amount of floor space. The sum of the work triangles three sides should not exceed 26 feet, and each leg should measure between 4 and 9 feet. Imagine a triangle that connected your cooktop, your sink, and the refrigerator. The basic kitchen work triangle can be placed anywhere along the length the overall length of a the work triangle should be a maximum of 8 feet drawbacks not efficient for multiple cooks cooks must cross over work paths corridor kitchen consists of work space on two opposing walls. As you prepare food you move around to do three different tasks. Most kitchen layouts start from the concept of a work.
Jan 17, 2014 a kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation. The kitchen triangledefined by a triangular layout between stove, fridge, and sinkis still the best way to design a kitchen. The work triangle still remains the core of the design for an individual in order to efficiently complete preparation of meals. The importance of an efficient kitchen work triangle. The kitchen work triangle principle is used by kitchen designers and architects when designing residential kitchens. Then came the island kitchens hardly ever had islands back in the day. The kitchen triangle theory is still the best way to. Pdf determining effects of kitchen design rules on. The work triangle vs work zones in the kitchen understanding the muchrevered kitchen work triangle kitchen design is very important in the design of your kitchen workspace. It is the path that you make when moving from the refrigerator, to the sink, to the variety to prepare a meal. The work triangle is an imaginary line drawn between these three zones, in the shape of you guessed it. The sum of all three sides of the triangle should be between. The work triangle is also designed to minimize traffic within the kitchen so the cook isnt interrupted or interfered with. The work triangle in a kitchen is defined as the distance between the sink, the refrigerator and the cook top.
Kitchen remodeling understanding the kitchen work triangle. The work triangle was born, comprising your kitchens heavy appliance hitters the sink, refrigerator, and stove spaced equilaterally apart. Mar 16, 2010 the kitchen work triangle is a design concept that can help create efficient use of kitchen work spaces. These three points and the imaginary lines between them, make up what kitchen experts call the work triangle. Efficiency is the triangle s main goal, as it keeps all the major work stations near the cook, without placing them so close that the kitchen becomes cramped. Keep major traffic patterns from crossing your triangle. The work triangle theory is based on the idea that the most efficiently designed kitchens are focused around a set of three imaginary straight lines that form a triangle between. Chris adams is a human factors engineer who writes about ergonomics and has 11 years of experience in the field. The work triangle is not a law, merely a suggestion for good space planning. The kitchen triangle theory is still the best way to design a. In order for your kitchen to be considered functional, it needs to have a proper layout. No work triangle leg should intersect an island or peninsula by more than 12 inches. The goal is to make sure there is sufficient countertop space and each area to.
The work triangle is a timetested guideline of kitchen design that helps plan out efficient kitchen work spaces with clear traffic lanes. The triangle layout can reduce unnecessary movement in the kitchen, making your use of the space more efficient. The kitchen work triangle is defined as the distance between the sink, the refrigerator and the cook top. When planning out your kitchen layout, think about the shape and size of the space. The total length of all three legs should be between 12 and 26 feet. The importance of an efficient kitchen work triangle slow. Ideally, a person should be able to move effortlessly in the center of the work triangle while quickly switching between stations.
The distances between the three primary work centers cooking, cleanupprep and refrigeration form a work triangle 4. During the research, a few kitchen design guidelines were developed. Tuesday we talked about how the open kitchen is more than an aesthetic design update its a realignment of the kitchen with todays manner of living. Dec 11, 20 the work triangle is an imaginary line drawn between these three zones, in the shape of you guessed it. Nkba kitchen planning guidelines with access standards.
The idea is that a line drawn to the refrigerator, sink, and range should create a relatively evensided triangle within which the major kitchen activities take place. The kitchen work triangle is a concept used to determine efficient kitchen layouts that are both aesthetic and functional. This will minimize the work triangle, help define traffic patterns and create a gathering spot. The concept entails a triangle connecting your three main work areas in the kitchen. In the west, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets. A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation. The work triangle refers to the triangle created between the stove, refrigerator and the sink. Applying the kitchen triangle design concept means that you have automatically solved a host of kitchen design problems relating to ergonomics, workflow, and aesthetics. In a well designed kitchen, the dimensions of any one side of the work triangle is a minimum of 42. Also think about limiting plumbing lines to one wall for budgeting purposes.
The design principles place the three work areas an efficient distance from each other. No leg of the work triangle should measure less than 4 feet nor more than 9 feet. If the kitchen has only one sink, it should be placed between or across from the. What are some advantages of an open design kitchen. The lshaped kitchen layout is a standard kitchen layout suitable for corners and open spaces. When there is a centrally located island it becomes the main work space, and. Find your kitchen floorplan below and discover where the triangle is situated. Efficiency in the kitchen begins with geometry kohler ideas. For example, in a pullman kitchen where the sink, cooking surface, and refrigerator are on one wall, no triangle of any kind is possible but the distance rule still apply.
Creating an effective work triangle is a wise rule to follow, said normandy designer leslie lee. A guide to kitchen layouts think beyond the basic work triangle, kitchens come in all shapes from the spacesaving galley to wraparound u or lshaped kitchens to cook spaces that are curvy, pentagonal, wedgeshaped or completely outside the box. The kitchen triangle is one such shortcut that has been used for decades and still holds true for many kitchen design projects. The primary tasks in a home kitchen are carried out between the cook top, the sink and the refrigerator. The nkba suggests these guidelines for work triangles. Learn how to layer this classic approach with modern. As nancy recently wrote in her series on 100 years in the kitchen, the concept came about in the 1940s, based on industrial motion studies aimed at increased efficiency. Efficiency is the triangles main goal, as it keeps all the major work stations near the cook, without placing them so close that the kitchen becomes cramped. However, it must expand and reconfigure for multiple. It a set of design principles that determine the placement of the refrigerator, sink, and stove in an ergonomic way. The work triangle vs work zones in the kitchen home.
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