Kitchen Space Planning
A plan strategy is a method of configuring the arrangement of activity centers, fixtures and equipment, and maneuvering spaces for the users to safely circulate for work and group interaction (socialization). For example, while some users prefer to cook in a kitchen alone, other families cook their meals together as a highlight of their day. In another example, a bath is rarely a group activity and primarily a single user zone and therefore the size of the space can be reduced to consider the individual.
Effective plan strategies help the designer efficiently and effectively plan spaces using common plan elements, grouping like activities into a pleasing and functional arrangement.
Planning Strategies
All dwellings require a kitchen. Whether or not the kitchen is considered a work area or a social space may also influence what type of arrangement is planned. Traditional planning has suggested that there were a few common arrangements of kitchen areas and that these could be planned into a variety of spaces. In fact, certain arrangements lend themselves to either a closed arrangement, typical of a work-type kitchen, or an open arrangement, typical of a social kitchen with centers or zones for multiple activities. The physical space and the ability to renovate may dictate which is used.
Kitchen Zoning
Some older homes were planned using the zoning paradigm, with the kitchen categorized in the work zone and the other areas of the home characterized as private and social zones. From this perspective, food preparation is a task, along with other household jobs like laundry and mending. These task areas were be grouped together in one part of the house. The type of zoning, work, social, or private zones are covered in Conceptualization.
However, in many newer homes the kitchen is considered part of an informal social space. While food preparation is still important, other activities are also occurring in the kitchen (and surrounding areas) and should be accommodated by the space. Today’s lifestyles seem to require an informal living space where family members and friends gather to share their lives on a regular basis. Time constraints mean that often several activities are occurring in the space at the same time. The kitchen is now often part of a social area.
When considering the location of a kitchen within a home, it is quite often that it can not be relocated but the arrangement can be reconfigured to better address the design requirements of form and function. According to Neufert’s Architect’s Data, the kitchen is ideally located in the northeast or northwest area of the home and with a direct adjacency to the entrance. In addition, there should be sensible internal room relationships to the pantry, dining room, and utility/laundry/mudroom. The designer should be aware of additional limiting factors.
Room relationships of a larger kitchen, adapted from Neufert’s Architect’s Data for North America dwellings and updated for NKBA.
Outdoor Kitchen Zoning
Cooking outdoors is a great way to entertain and serve a wide variety of meals. Grilling foods is an important food preparation method today and many people prefer to do this outside, to reduce smoke and odors indoors. We can cook outside with just a grill, but there are so many more possibilities that a designer can use to create an exciting cooking experience. The food preparation in an outdoor kitchen may be modified from the typical food preparation sequence.
An outdoor kitchen is often planned next to or close to the kitchen of the house. This will increase the efficiency of extending water, gas, and electrical utilities to the area. It will also be efficient for a cook who prepares part of the meal in the indoor kitchen and brings it to the outdoor eating area.
Examine the overall design of the private outdoor areas to consider how to integrate the kitchen with other outdoor living areas, such as a pool or other landscape feature. Patio or deck areas will be needed for dining and conversation areas if the outdoor kitchen is part of the outdoor entertaining area. Typically, the outdoor area is first a socializing space and second, a cooking area. Safety and separation between the heat of the grill and those who are socializing should be a primary safety concern.
The inclusion of shelter over an outdoor kitchen may depend on the climate and location of the house. How often does it rain? How hot does it get? Is shade needed? Will the clients be using the outdoor kitchen all year long or will they need to winterize the kitchen? Are strong winds an issue that might affect the placement of the outdoor kitchen or the grilling unit and related ventilation needs?
The Kitchen & Bath Planning Guidelines with Support Spaces and Accessibility, 4th Ed. now includes Outdoor Kitchen Planning guidelines found in Section 5.0.
Kitchen planning Arrangements
Closed Arrangements
A closed arrangement indicates that the kitchen is probably best suited for one cook who works in isolation. This arrangement does not lend itself to other family members or guests moving about, in or through the space, but it often makes an efficient work space. The following arrangements fall into this category:
U-Shaped Kitchen
This arrangement has two parallel cabinet/counter/work areas with a third area joining them, forming an arrangement similar to a ‘U’. Typically, a different type of work area is located on each section: cooking, sink, and refrigeration. This can be a very convenient arrangement for one person moving in between the various areas. Depending on the distance of the work aisle, it can be fairly difficult for more than one person at a time to use it. However, a wide U-shaped kitchen that includes an island can be a good layout for a multi-cook space.
Parallel Kitchen
This arrangement offers two parallel cabinet/counter/work areas, typically with a wall at the end, so that traffic does not go through the kitchen. At least two work areas have to be on the same side. Again, depending on the size of the work route, the arrangement might be best suited for only one cook. Where there is an entry/exit to the kitchen at both ends of the work route, this is called a “corridor” kitchen.
G-Shaped Kitchen
This arrangement is a wide U-shaped kitchen, with a fourth arm turning back into the center of the space. This results in a fairly tight work area that lends itself to one cook, unless secondary work areas are planned along the outer arms.
All of these arrangements illustrated below can be planned to feel more open by increasing the distance between the sides of the space and by creating a pass-through or peninsula counter. Dining areas or other social spaces might be planned at the open end of the arrangements to increase access. The seating area depth has not been factored into the area calculations.
Typical Closed Kitchen Arrangements
Open Arrangements
Open arrangements illustrated in Figure 3.49 are more likely to be used if there are two cooks, or if there will be several people in the kitchen area. Often these arrangements can combine with social spaces to create a multi-use space. These arrangements include:
L-Shaped Kitchen
This arrangement has two arms of work areas joined together at one end to form an L-shape. Often one person could work on one side and another on the other side without too much interference. The open side of the arrangement might lend itself to a dining space, a seating arrangement or an island.
I-Shape One-Wall Kitchen
This arrangement puts all of the work areas on one wall. It can be an inconvenient kitchen because of the distance between the work centers on opposite ends of the wall, or if the distance is not too great, the amount of storage and counter space may be limited. It does allow for an open space opposite the kitchen wall that could be used for dining and social areas.
I-Shape Corridor Kitchen
This arrangement is similar to the parallel kitchen, except that both ends are open. This allows for traffic through the work areas, which is not desirable. However, if alternate traffic can be arranged so that the traffic is only for the cook(s), then the arrangement may work for single or multiple cooks.
Island Kitchen
A separate work area or island can be incorporated into most of these kitchen configurations, provided there is room for the proper clearances in the work and traffic aisles. Island kitchens can be arranged in many different ways. The island is usually a workspace and may be combined with another activity area, such as dining. At least one side of the island faces a work area with a work aisle in between. The other side is more likely to be a traffic aisle or seating area, but it could be a work aisle as well.
Kitchens may come in even more shapes. Work areas can be placed at 45° angles. Curved arrangements may have no angles. Each work area may be unattached in an unfitted kitchen. No one shape is ideal, and the designer will want to make sure that the needs of the user and the requirements of space are being met.
All of these arrangements illustrated below can be planned with multiple islands, breaking the arrangement, or adding eating areas. The seating area depth has not been factored into the area calculations.
Typical Open Kitchen Arrangements
Combined Spaces
Secondary Kitchen
Secondary cooking kitchens include separated cooking areas for baking, serving preparation, and high-heat or aromatic cooking (such as a wok and spice cooking). A secondary kitchen is compartmentalized and located directly adjacent to the primary kitchen with a door to room. It may also be adjacent to a laundry room or mudroom. Sometimes called a “wok kitchen” for high-heat stir-frying or “spice kitchen” for aromatic spice cooking, a secondary kitchen has a kitchen sink and faucet, preparation area, cooking surface and a kitchen exhaust at a minimum. It may also include a dishwasher, range or cooking surface and wall oven, and preservation equipment in larger secondary kitchens.
Typical Secondary Kitchen Arrangements
Pantry, Larder
A pantry is a great storage feature. Sometimes also called a “larder”, a pantry typically houses additional cooking and baking equipment and a larder typically houses dry and canned goods for those activities. There are many different styles of pantries, including tall cabinets, closets, and small rooms. Generally, a pantry should be placed outside of the work route so that the tall unit does not interfere with the flow of food preparation. Standard tall cabinet sizes are 12, 18, and 24 inches deep, but custom cabinets can be made at any depth. Different accessories (pull-out shelves and racks, turntables) can be added to increase the effectiveness of the storage unit. Unlike wall and base cabinets, pantry cabinets allow for a large portion of stored items to be within the reach range of users, offering a universal option.
Some clients may really appreciate a walk-in pantry that has open shelving within a small room. This type of storage can accommodate items bought in bulk as well as oversized pots and serving pieces. You should plan shelf depth, which can range from 6 to 30 inches (152 to 762 mm), to accommodate the items being stored. Ideally, the door to a walk-in pantry will allow for a 32-inch (815 mm) clear opening, which will enhance the access to the space and allow for a usable clear floor space in the pantry.
Eating Areas
Kitchen with eating spaces or dining areas offers space for a table and chairs. This may be an eat-in kitchen with a separate dining room or combined with a seating space as a family room in an open plan arrangement. These areas are sometimes called a “breakfast nook” or “eating nook”. An eating space is idealled laid out to accommodate a minimum of four (4) people.
The minimum space needed for a place setting is 24 inches (610 mm) wide. This allows space for a plate, flatware, and glassware arranged in the typical setting. A more generous space would be 30 inches (760 mm) wide. This would allow for a little more arm space while eating and would allow for a more formal table setting. The 30-inch (760 mm) width would also allow for a person in a wheelchair to sit.
Consider the view to other parts of the house and to the outdoors while in the dining area. If the cook is the chaotic type who has managed to get everything on the table at the right temperature, but not gotten all the pots in the dishwasher, it may be best to shield the view from the dining area to the work part of the kitchen. Pleasant views to a garden or play space may be more enjoyable. Informal dining spaces in the kitchen can be convenient and encourage socializing among household members and guests.
In the Kitchen & Bath Planning Guidelines with Support Spaces and Accessibility, 4th Ed., the NKBA has expanded upon the seating areas for eating in kitchens. This can be reviewed in more detail under guidelines 2.1.6 Seating Areas in Kitchens and 2.1.7 Clearance at Seating Areas.
Seating Areas
An adjacent sitting area is usually stylistically coordinated and integrated with the kitchen. There is usually a sense of a single space. However, people need to be able to walk into and out of the sitting area without interrupting the work route throughout kitchen.
The plan strategies in these spaces are predominantly related to furnishings and their arrangement within a 10-foot (3 m) diameter conversation zone. What makes planning adjacent seating spaces unique is that they follow the same typical arrangements of kitchens with linear, L-shape, U-shape, and G-shape arrangements.
People in the sitting area will more likely be at a seated eye level. This can be used to advantage if you wish to partially screen kitchen work areas. However, remember to consider seated eye level for placement of other features, such as muntins on windows. Also, people in the sitting area will see up underneath wall cabinets, so avoid glare from under cabinet lighting.
Additional considerations are the physical size of available furnishings, electrical floor outlets, orientation of the fireplace or television in the furnishings arrangement, competing focal points, and circulation between furnishings. The Certified Kitchen & Bath Designer may need to study residential interiors separately to demonstrate further applied knowledge.
Separation Between Combined Spaces
An open plan arraignment combines the kitchen, eating space, and seating space into one, large room. The separation between spaces may be implied or physical.
Implied Separation
Denoted by a change in flooring or ceiling transition or height, material, color or finish (visual queuing).
Physical Separation
Denoted by a physical obstacle or barrier such as a half-height partition wall, modesty screen, or full-height wall.
When separating and arranging combined spaces, it is vital that the designer pay close attention to passageway clearances and overall circulation that is focused on the view, vista or other architectural detail within the overall, larger space.
Influencing & Limiting Factors
Shape – The shape of the available interior space will limit the kitchen plan. The designer may not be able to relocate partitions or exterior walls in a project and therefore this is an important consideration to make before committing to planning.
Accessibility – The accessibility needs of the users is paramount in a kitchen. The approach and access at activity centers, clear floor space, and maneuvering (covered separately) in a kitchen will be an important consideration in the final plan.
Access into Kitchen – Many kitchens are accessed through the home, meaning there is an existing travel route that must be accommodated for users. In addition, limitations along this travel route to the kitchen will include passageway width, overall ceiling height, limitations on height such as sprinkler heads that can not be relocated, or doorway heights and widths that are not to standard. Travel routes to a kitchen with corners and changes in travel direction are also limitations because it affects the maneuvering of materials in and out of the space. A careful job-site measurement is required to identify these limitations as this may affect the delivery and removal of oversized building materials, limitations to cabinet heights and widths, limitations to work surface lengths, and lengths of cabinet crown mouldings.
Doorways – The entry and exit into the kitchen should be considered in the overall arrangement. For example, in many single-family homes there are multiple access points to a dwelling whereas in a condominium there may be only one. These affect the doorway location into the kitchen and, ultimately, the available arrangement. Understanding the homeowners day-to-day activities may determine that a refrigerator is planned within proximity to the most-used entry into the residence for ease of stocking the equipment after grocery and other perishable goods purchases.
For renovations and remodels, the existing doorway location must be considered within the overall arrangement if there are to be non-loadbearing alterations. Headers over doorways can be structural and may require a Professional Engineer to relocate, resize or alter. In some situations, the doorway width may be increased to a maxim of 48” (1 220 mm) without engineering plans.
Door Collisions – No equipment or interior door planned locations should collide with one another. See guideline 1.4 Door & Equipment interference.
Window/View – Traditionally, the kitchen sink has been located directly beneath a window or looking out toward a view of an adjoining space or vista and this has been a focal point. This stems from the pre-warewashing equipment era when much time was spent washing and scrubbing utensils, dinnerware, cookware, bakeware and drinkware. This need not be a limitation for the designer in today’s kitchen plans; however, the current window location may be a limiting factor in the overall arrangement. Windows also provide additional natural daylighting into an otherwise very enclosed space with many cabinets installed on walls.
Plumbing – For renovations and remodels, relocating plumbing from the existing location may be a challenge. Some jurisdictions do not permit cheater-vents, therefore determining the location of the existing vent is critical to determining the maximum drain distance, and ultimately the kitchen sink locations, from a wall. See construction sections for more details and limitations on the trap-arm length.
Ventilation – Kitchen ventilation that exhausts to the exterior will be required for all residential dwellings with a cooking surface. As this equipment has limitations on duct size, number of turns, and distance from the exterior, this will indeed be a limitation for the designer. There are alternative solutions, such as an in-line blower booster, but this equipment will require access for repair and maintenance. More details on ventilation planning are covered separately.
Acoustics – The overall acoustical quality of a kitchen has an effect on the users and the adjoining spaces, especially for open plan arrangements with eating and living spaces without physical partitions between. Kitchens can be very noisy spaces and can be disruptive so planning the location away from private zones in the home is a limitation to consider carefully. In addition, the shape of the ceiling plane, whether flat, cathedral, or barrel vaulted, will also have an effect on both sound and noise generated in a kitchen.
Spatial Quality – Spatial quality refers to the two-dimensional and three-dimensional quality of a space being considered simultaneously. The shape, location and arrangement of the final solution affect the overall spatial quality of the kitchen. Often a quick hand-sketch of an plan idea can either elevate or dispell a theory that the designer is attempting to resolve within the design parameters.
Furniture – Should furnishings be planned, such as at an eating counter, banquette, or separate table, within the kitchen then the area clearance needed at seating areas must be considered at the outset. See guidelines 2.1.6 Seating Areas in Kitchens and 2.1.7 Clearance at Seating Areas for further details.
Entertaining – Entertaining is an important part of many lifestyles today and the kitchen is a crucial element. The aim is to provide good food and conversation in a pleasant setting. Informal entertaining often means the hosts, and sometimes the guests, prepare and serve the food. Kitchens that are open to social spaces facilitate interaction and encourage the guests to participate in the preparations.
Two entertaining trends require some special consideration in kitchen design—using a caterer and outdoor entertaining. When a caterer is used frequently for entertaining, the kitchen might include some special features that can accommodate the caterer’s requirements. When preparing food and dining outdoors is a preferred way of informal entertaining, the outdoor kitchen can add to the convenience and ambiance of the event.
The arrangement of activity centers in a kitchen is discussed separately from plan strategies, but it is a careful consideration that should be thought of before finalizing the plan.
Kitchen Sizes
Knowing the approximate size of kitchens and the number of users it will accommodate will make the planning easier and more efficient. As reviewed in conceptualization areas, the overall area of a kitchen has been determined as:
Common Kitchen Sizes
| Space | Imperial Area | Metric Area | Ideal No. of Users |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchenette | 60 to 80 sq. ft. | 5.57 to 7.43 m² | 1 |
| Small Kitchen | 81 to 150 sq. ft. | 7.44 to 13.95 m² | 1 |
| Medium (Accessible) Kitchen | 151 to 350 sq. ft. | 13.96 to 32.52 m² | 2 |
| Large (Accessible) Kitchen | Greater than 350 sq. ft. | Greater than 32.52 m² | +2 |
Common Storage Frontage in Kitchens
| Space | Imperial Frontage | Metric Frontage | Miscellaneous (incl.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Kitchen | 1400 inches | 35 560 mm | 10% |
| Medium (Accessible) Kitchen | 1700 inches | 43 180 mm | 15% |
| Large (Accessible) Kitchen | 2000 inches | 50 800 mm | 20% |
Base, wall, drawer, and pantry cabinetry/casework provide the storage system in the kitchen. Storage recommendations are based on shelf/drawer frontage, not just cabinet size, meaning the designer must be familiar with cabinetry/casework of a manufacturer or otherwise specify the shelfs/drawers of cabinetry to a custom cabinet maker or millworker. Storage sizes in kitchens are no longer a guideline requirement, but nevertheless should be planned using the frontage figures in the table below.
Frontage is calculated by adding the total width of all shelves and drawers specified in a cabinet and multiplying it by the depth multiplier. When considering functional storage fitting planned inside a cabinet, the standard cabinet configuration should be used.
Frontage Calculation Formula
(CASE WIDTH × QTY. OF SHELVES & DRAWERS) × DEPTH MULTIPLE = TOTAL CABINET FRONTAGE
Cabinet shelf or drawer frontage is counted by quantity located inside the case and then either 12” (305 mm) for a depth multiple of (1) or 24” (610 mm) for a depth multiple of (2).
Common Seating Sizes
| Space | Imperial Area | Metric Area | Ideal No. of Users |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seated User | 2 sq. ft. | 0.2m² | 1 |
| Wheelchair User | 10 sq. ft. | 0.9m² | 1 |
| Small Eating Area | 25 to 28 sq. ft. | 2.34 to 2.6m² | 4 |
| Medium Eating Area | 38 to 42 sq. ft. | 3.51 to 3.9m² | 6 |
| Large Eating Area | 50 to 56 sq. ft. | 4.68 to 5.2m² | 8 |
| Seating Area | 180 to 200 sq. ft. | 16.7 to 18.6m² | 4 |