‘Working triangle’ for an efficient kitchen

Press, 22 April 1986, Page 14

‘Working triangle’ for an efficient kitchen

In kitchens, there are three basic shapes that are used by designers for an efficient working space, the U-shape, reshape, and the two-wall or corridor kitchen shape. For small kitchens one gets more convenience if one uses the U-shape. Everything is within reach, and it utilises the maximum amount of bench space from the limited room that one is given. The L-shape arrangement is good in a large room. You can group

equipment conveniently without travelling too far between centres. It is also a good shape where more than one person works in the kitchen at a time. The two-wall, or corridor shape is least desirable because of the "through-the-kitchen” traffic. This can be allowed for by changing the location of a door, while the house is in the planning stage, to a more convenient spot. It will give you a more efficient kitchen. The step-saving triangle

provides for the most efficient arrangment of equipment, saving time and energy, and following the “flow-of-work” pattern. Tests have been made on traffic patterns in kitchens with the result that a “working-triangle” within the maximum total of 6600 mm, is the most efficient for a kitchen. If a kitchen is designed on this basis, the person cooking will not run him or herself to exhaustion between points, and the extra space can be outside the triangle. Include the range top, built-in or free standing, in measuring the work triangle for your kitchen. Remember to check how the flow of work progresses from the back door — the receiving — to refrigerator, to sink, to range, and on to the serving, as shown by the dotted line in the diagram. Also check the through-the-kitchen traffic to see that it bypasses the work triangle, without interrupting the cooking process. This is shown by the footsteps. Once that is right, you should have a good, efficient kitchen for the family to work in.