The Effect of Air Supply Ventilation effectiveness can

By admin on November 15th, 2007

The Effect of Air Supply

Ventilation effectiveness can be described as the
ability of ventilation system to achieve design
conditions in the space (air temperature, humidity,
concentration of impurities and air velocity) at
minimum energy consumption. Air distribution
methods used in the kitchen should provide adequate
ventilation in the occupied zone, without disturbing the
thermal plume.
In the commercial kitchen environment the supply
airflow rate required to ventilate the space is a major
factor contributing to the system energy consumption.
Traditionally high velocity mixing or low velocity mixing
systems have been used. Now there is a third alternative
that clearly demonstrates improved thermal comfort over
mixing systems, this is displacement ventilation.
The supply air (make-up air) can be delivered to the
kitchen in two ways:
high velocity or mixiing ventilation
low velocity or displacement.

Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Systems The commercial kitchen is

By admin on November 13th, 2007

Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Systems

The commercial kitchen is a unique space where
many different HVAC applications take place within a
single environment. Exhaust, supply, transfer,
refrigeration, building pressurisation and air
conditioning all must be considered in the design of
most commercial kitchens.
It is obvious that the main activity in the commercial
kitchen is the cooking process. This activity generates
heat and effluent that must be captured and
exhausted from the space in order to control odour
and thermal comfort. The kitchen supply air, whether
mechanical or transfer or a combination of both,
should be of an amount that creates a small negative
pressure in the kitchen space. This will avoid odours
and contaminated air escaping into surrounding areas.
Therefore the correct exhaust air flow quantity is
fundamental to ensure good system operation,
thermal comfort and improved IAQ.
Similar considerations should be given to washing-up,
food preparation and serving areas.

Sinks The sink and an adjacent work surface

By admin on November 8th, 2007

Sinks
The sink and an adjacent work surface shall be a minimum of 820mm in length, with
under bench clear space as above.
The main sink bowl shall be 150mm maximum depth.
Taps or operating handles to be within 300mm from the front of the sink.

Storage
Shelves 800mm above the floor, should not exceed 600mm depth.
Shelves 800mm to 1500mm above the floor, should not exceed 450mm depth.
Shelves above 1500mm from the floor should not exceed 300mm depth.
For cupboards 800mm and above, the handles should be installed within 150mm of
the bottom edge.
For cupboards below 800mm, the handles should be installed within 150mm of the
top edge.
D handles are preferred.

Power Outlets
To be located with a horizontal accessible reach over a work surface at a maximum of
300mm from front of work surface.
At a height of 600 to 1000mm above the floor.

Lighting
For general kitchen tasks 160 Lux, or 300 Lux for people with vision impairment
For task lighting, 240 lux, or 550 600 lux for people with vision impairment

Circulation
Clear floor space of 1500mm x 820mm minimum in front of work surfaces.
The space required for a wheelchair to make a 360 degree turn, is 2250mm by
2250mm.

Floor Surfaces
Flooring should be slip resistant.

Windows
To have a sill height of 950mm 1000mm.

Major Appliances
When selecting the appliances to install in the kitchen, consider:
Height ensure shelves, handles and controls can be reached
Door Opening check that the door of the refrigerator, oven or microwave opens to
the side, does not block access and there is clear bench space adjacent.
Ease of Cleaning try to select simple profiles with smooth, unbroken surfaces.

Cook tops
Should have controls positioned at the front or side to avoid reaching over hotplates to
adjust them.
Should be flush with adjacent work surfaces to permit sliding of pots.
If a knee space is left underneath then the underside of the cook top should be
insulated. See Work Surfaces for dimensions.

Ovens
To be located adjacent to a work surface of 820mm minimum length, with knee space
underneath.
Side opening or drop-down slide-under doors allow closer access.

Microwave Ovens
Located between 750 1200mm above the floor.
Ensure adjacent bench space or pull out shelf for lifting hot and heavy items onto.

Kitchen Shape
An L-shaped or U-shaped layout is generally preferred, however a corridor
arrangement may be suitable for an ambulant person who can use the benches on
either side for support.
Some ambulant people with disabilities prefer to work while seated on a stool,
consideration should be given to this when determining layout and bench height.
To move towards making a kitchen accessible when building a new home, in the early
stages, is to make a property more marketable when selling or prevent costly
alterations at a later stage

HOW TO: DESIGN, PLAN & FIT A KITCHEN

By admin on November 4th, 2007

HOW TO: DESIGN, PLAN & FIT A KITCHEN 2
Hints & Tips

Don t
Locate a cooker or hob beneath a window where curtains could catch fire -
or where it is dangerous to reach over to the window.
Plan a wall unit above a hob without an extractor fan.
Plan a hob next to a tall unit, corner wall or at the end of a run.
Plan appliances in a corner.
Put an inset sink near worktop joints.
Position a sink or cooker near or next to opening doors.
Box in boilers or other gas appliances as these require air flow to operate
properly and safely.
Put a cooker hob under or near electrical sockets.
Position cookers next to fridges or freezers.
Block up existing air vents if there are gas appliances in the kitchen.

Once you have decided on your units and worktops don’t forget the other
exciting accessories that can add those finishing touches - such as plinths,
pelmets, cornices, handles, decorative legs and wirework.
Consult a plumber if in doubt about the positioning of a sink or dishwasher as it
is not always possible to reposition them - you will need to take into account
the positions for waste pipes and drains. It is also important to consult a Corgi
registered fitter about air vents and an electrician about electrical work.

HOW TO: DESIGN, PLAN & FIT A KITCHEN

By admin on November 2nd, 2007

HOW TO: DESIGN, PLAN & FIT A KITCHEN

PLANNING AND DESIGN
Getting started
Carefully measure up your kitchen in centimetres making a precise scaled plan on the
grid provided in the B&Q Kitchen Planner PDF (596 KB download).
Measure in a clockwise direction, starting from the door, and note which direction the
doors open.
Be careful to check the following:
Take the ceiling height at several points
Ensure the kitchen is square by measuring diagonally (or compare
opposing walls).
Carefully mark the location of existing power points, plumbing, gas
supply, air vents and any permanent features such as windows, sills,
radiators and boilers.
Always check dimensions, if in doubt measure it again.
Note the space required for your kitchen appliances.
Finally check what the walls are made of to ensure that you buy the
correct fixings for your unit.

TECHNOLOGY IN THE KITCHEN In the kitchen we

By admin on October 29th, 2007

TECHNOLOGY IN THE KITCHEN

In the kitchen we can traditionally find a diverse range of
artifacts for food preparation. These include very specific as
involving rituals and symbolic aspects. Some people enjoy
cooking together; several people enjoy cooking for others;
friends and relatives often exchange recipes, which assume a
cultural as well as communicative value. TV cooking shows,
featuring popular cooks or showmen, frame cooking as a
creative and cultural activity. In this sense cooking seems to
provide a great potential for communication. Thus
communication and display technologies can support the
communication and sociability aspects of cooking, and bring
new aspects to its social character.

Our daily life environments are starting to contain

By admin on October 29th, 2007

Our daily life environments are starting to contain an increasing
number of displays in various formats and supporting different
functionalities and interaction styles.
In such interactive environments people can move around in a display continuum
rather then sit at a desktop behind their screens, handle physical
as well as digital objects at the same time, and interact on
shared displays in co-located or remote collaboration. Thus, our
contexts of interaction tend to get a more and more hybrid
nature, where physical and digital artifacts blend together. This
will most likely affect the way in which we interact with
architectural space, with information and with each other in the
near future. A holistic understanding of context, in this sense,
requires looking at interaction as embodied [3], thus taking into
account its social as well as physical aspects. Hybrid IT
artifacts need to provide physical, cognitive, as well as social
affordances in order to enable users to interact
and communicate in such hybrid contexts.

The research focuses on the design of affordances for digital
information in scenarios of ubiquitous computing. Here I
present the Living Cookbook appliance: in this project we
explore the introduction of digital display technology into the
kitchen environment. In this paper I look at the complexity of
the cooking context and I consider how the introduction of
technology in the kitchen can affect the cooking experience. I
provide a design perspective and point out the main challenges
and potentials of bringing computing technology into contexts
of everyday life.