Explore Your Dream Kitchen: Incorporating Universal Design Into Continuing Education
Authors: Julia O. Beamish, Professor, Virginia Tech, Certified Kitchen Educator
JoAnn Emmel, Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech, Coordinator of the Center for Real Life Kitchen Design
Kathleen Parrott, Professor, Virginia Tech, Certified Kitchen Educator
Copyright is held by: Authors
Keywords: kitchen, continuing education, universal design, workshop, remodeling
Abstract
A two-day consumer workshop, Explore Your Dream Kitchen, is offered several times a year at Virginia Tech. Participants are planning to remodel or build a kitchen and receive information about currently available appliances, cabinets, fixtures, and materials. They are taught kitchen planning principles, including universal design applications. Participants receive a consultation as part of the program and many have concerns that are addressed by universal design.
Event Title: Explore Your Dream Kitchen
Event Sponsor: Department of Housing, Apparel, and Resource Management, Virginia Tech
Dates last held: May 23-24, 2003
Audience characteristics and size: 18-20 adults, planning to remodel or build a kitchen, participate each time the workshop is offered.
Introduction
For universal design to be effective in residential settings the consumer has to understand its value and demand its inclusion into new and remodeled housing. One of the most important home spaces that can benefit from inclusion of universal design solutions is the kitchen. This is the most expensive room in the house and the design usually lasts for many years of an individual’s or family’s life stages, making it a quasi-permanent space. Consumers are often confused by the number of decisions associated with a new kitchen and seek ways to educate themselves about the products and designs they will select. A consumer workshop, Explore Your Dream Kitchen, is held several times a year at Virginia Tech and provides objective information about appliances, cabinets, materials, and lighting for the kitchen. The workshop also helps participants consider their needs and understand general kitchen planning, including the incorporation of universal design.
Objectives
The workshop is designed so that students will:
- Become familiar with appliances, cabinets, materials, fixtures, and lighting currently available.
- Understand basic kitchen design principles that will be useful as they plan or evaluate kitchens.
3) Analyze their needs and abilities as they plan their kitchens, incorporating universal design solutions.
Workshop Structure
The workshop is conducted at The Center for Real Life Kitchen Design at Virginia Tech. The Center has five working kitchens, including the GE Real Life Design Kitchen. A laundry, office, and classroom complete the space. Participants meet in the Center for the two-day session, during which they examine the products in the kitchens to learn about appliances, materials and cabinets. They also work in teams to prepare their evening meal in the kitchens. This hands-on activity helps students experience some of the features and appliances they are considering for their own kitchens.
Participants at the Explore Your Dream Kitchen workshop cook in the Real Life Design Kitchen as they prepare part of the evening meal. Credit: The Center for Real Life Kitchen Design
The photograph shows three figures standing in a kitchen cooking a meal. The figure in the foreground stands at the cooktop looking into a large pot. Figures in the background stand at the counter with their back to the camera.
Students receive a workbook of presentations and recipes, a bag of product information, and access to numerous books and other materials, while they participate in the program. Three faculty in the Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management teach the class sessions. Two of the faculty are Certified Kitchen Design Educators (CKE) and one is a home appliance expert. All three teach in the housing program and the kitchen and bath specialization at the university. They developed the workshop, teach all of the sessions, and offer 45-minute consultations with any participant wanting help with their kitchen project.
The general format of the program is:
Day 1
- Welcome and Introduction
- Your Dream Kitchen
- Tour of the Center for Real Life Kitchen Design
- Reading and Understanding Kitchen Design Plans
- Appliances! Appliances! Appliances!
- Analyzing your Kitchen Needs and Wants
- Split into Groups:
- Group 1: Cabinets for Every Purpose
- Group 2: Dinner: A Chance to Learn by Doing!
- Evaluation of the Cooking Experience
- The Cleaning Experience
Day 2
Breakfast- Principles of Kitchen Design
- Cooks in the Kitchen: Planning Universally
- Materials in Today’s Kitchens
- Sinks and Faucets
- Lighting for Success
- Consultations
Universal Design
About 18 to 20 people can be accommodated each time the workshop is held. Participants come to the workshop because they are planning to remodel their kitchen or build a new home. Most of the participants who plan to remodel are Baby Boomers or older who mention long-term plans to stay in the home and use the kitchen for years. Those working in new construction are often planning retirement homes or second homes that will become retirement housing. Almost all of the participants recognize that they are aging and they want to be prepared. During introductions at the beginning of the workshop, participants express their interest in universal design, because of a physical problem they are having or because they realize they need the home to be functional for many years. During the needs analysis part of the program, they are asked to think about who uses the kitchen and how they use it. Are they organized or chaotic cooks? Do couples cook together or take on separate tasks? The focus on the function requirements and performance of tasks is critical in their understanding of kitchen design.
Participants share and discuss information during a classroom session of the Explore Your Dream Kitchen workshop. Credit: The Center for Real Life Kitchen Design.
The photograph shows about twenty people sitting in three rows of tables in a classroom setting. Several are facing each other as they discuss a topic of the workshop. The classroom is set in the Center for Real Life Kitchen Design. A table from one kitchen setting is in the foreground and another kitchen is seen in the background.
During the workshop, kitchen space planning is analyzed according to five components: the cook(s), floor space, work surfaces, storage, and equipment. These components are combined to create a task area. Tasks include food preparation, cooking, clean up, service, and eating. As each task area is discussed, recommendations are presented for circulation, work aisles, work surfaces, and storage. These recommendations are based on the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s Kitchen Planning Guidelines ( Cheever, E. M.,1996) . General universal design guidelines include recommendations for 32” door openings, 36” walk aisles, and 42”- 48” work aisles. Standard cabinet configurations, as well as recommended work areas surfaces for preparation and beside the sink, range, refrigerator, oven, and microwave are presented.
During the next session, problems with standardized kitchens are discussed, including standardized heights and depths of appliances, cabinets, and counters. It is pointed out that many people stoop and stretch to access items in their cabinets and that counter space often may not be allocated where needed. Smaller work aisles and work areas may not fit the needs of two-cooks or the cook using an assistive device. Universal design principles are highlighted as ways to solve some of the problems of the standardized kitchen. Flexible solutions include multiple counter heights, adjustable counter heights, and open spaces beneath counters. Using carts and pullouts that provide alternate work heights and moveable surface areas also creates spaces that are useful to more than one user. Placing appliances and storage within a restricted reach range makes more storage available to more people. Using pantries and backsplash areas help achieve this. Safety issues, such as range control and microwave oven placement, are also noted. Easing visual strain through appropriate lighting and cueing are other safety concerns.
Throughout the program, universal design is mentioned as a consideration in the selection of appliances, cabinets, and materials. As the class members examine and work in the kitchens they are able to observe many of these features. The GE Real Life Design Kitchen was designed to present many universal design features, including: pull down shelves, higher toe-kicks, pull-out carts, adjustable sink, visual and tactical cueing, open spaces under the counters, built-in step stool, raised dishwasher and cabinets, open wall shelves, and task lighting The other kitchens also have some universal design features, such as a microwave in a 48’cabinet, storage on the counter in cabinets and appliances garages, and storage accessories.
Universal design features in the Center for Real Life Kitchen Design. Credit: The Center for Real Life Kitchen Design
The photograph shows a portion of the GE Real Life Design Kitchen with the following features: lower sink with clear space beneath it, dark blue edging on the countertop, pull-out drawer with cut-out for mixing bowl, raised dishwasher, and raised toe-kick.
Cases
Participants have unique kitchens and their requirements for a new space are varied. During consultations real universal design suggestions can be made and analyzed for the particular needs that the participants have. For example, a recently retired couple wanted a new kitchen that accommodated the newly acquired second cook. The couple worked on different tasks and had specific requirements because the husband was tall and the wife was very short. Varied counter heights were suggested as well as wider work aisles. Back problems were fairly common for many participants. One woman had a fused back that prevented her from bending. She needed to look for alternatives to base cabinet storage, and drawers and pantries were some options examined. While people may have a specific issue they were trying to address, they also looked for universal design to help make their kitchen useable by an older parent or for themselves as they age.
Summary
Universal design is a concept that homeowners want to know more about. As they examine spaces in their homes, they may be looking for ways to make rooms useable and convenient for the tasks that they perform regularly. Explaining the benefits and applications of universal design while consumers are in the process of making changes to their home is timely and effective in providing information that will be useful. The Explore Your Dream Kitchen workshop is a unique way for consumers to consider this important home space and including universal design in the program is a great way to help them have well-designed kitchens.
REFERENCE
Cheever, E. M. (1996). Kitchen planning and safety standards: Kitchen industry technical manuals, Vol. 4 ( 3 rd ed.). Hackettstown, NJ: National Kitchen and Bath Association.
For more information, contact Julia Beamish at jbeamish@vt.edu
Citation: Beamish, J., Emmel, J., and Parrott, K. (2003). Explore Your Dream Kitchen: Incorporating Universal Design Into Continuing Education ©. Retrieved (Enter Date), from Universal Design Education Online web site: http://www.udeducation.org/teach/shortevents/beamish.asp
