LG Studio - visualsyntax · LG Business and Marketing Ijeoma Onyejiaka, Sooro Kim, Yong Min Seo,...
Transcript of LG Studio - visualsyntax · LG Business and Marketing Ijeoma Onyejiaka, Sooro Kim, Yong Min Seo,...
LG Studio
The Kitchen of the Future
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Aesthetic Considerations: Historical and Political Contextualization of the Kitchen
Amy Yeh, Belinda Park, Carolina Kim
Chapter 2
Contemporary and Historical Methods of Food Preservation and Preparation
Renee Osgood, Katie Cooper, Olga Lysenko
Chapter 3
Refrigerator and Kitchen Unit Dimensions Fabrication and Contents of Interiors
Sean Perry, Wesley Tong, Joseph Coffman
Chapter 4
Modified / Alternative Kitchen Units
Michala Monroe, You Jin Ko
Chapter 5
LG Business and Marketing
Ijeoma Onyejiaka, Sooro Kim, Yong Min Seo, Jihyun Park
Chapter 6
Final Design: Group 1
Chapter 7
Final Design: Group 2
Chapter 8
Final Design: Group 3
Chapter 9
Final Design: Group 4
Interior Design
Eileen Diaz (TA)Joseph CoffmanKatie CooperYou Jin KoOlga LysenkoMichala MonroeIjeoma OnyejiakaBelinda ParkSean Perry
Industrial Design
Carolina Kim (TA)Sooro KimRenee OsgoodJihyun ParkYong Min SeoWesley TongAmy Yeh
Katrin Mueller-RussoIndustrial Design
Alissa BucherInterior Design
Ind 401a-04 / Int 401-03
4 5
LG Studio
Research
6 7
Chapter 1
LG Studio
The Kitchen of the Future
Aesthetic Considerations:
Historical and Political Contextualization
of the Kitchen
• Introduction• Early• PatriarchyShapingWomen’sIdentitythroughCooking• CommonalitythroughCooking• WhenMenCook• 1850–1900:NewTechnologicalDevelopments• 1900–1920:TheKitchenSpaceRedefined• 1930–1950:TheBeginningofModernConveniences• 1960–1980:TheEstablishedKitchenEnvironment• Today’sKitchen• TheFutureKitchen
8 9
With the development of the chimney, the hearth
movedfromthecenteroftheroomtoawall.Thisled
totheinventionofthefirstbrick-and-mortarhearths.
Thefirewaslitontopoftheconstructionwhileavault
underneath served to store wood. The temperature
oftheflamewascontrolledbyplacingthepothigher
or lowerover the fire. Trivetswerealsoused to rest
thepotsovertheflamedirectly.Mostpotsweremade
fromiron,bronzeorcopper.Beforetheadventofmet-
almakingtechnologies,potsweremadefromclayor
ceramic.
Early Kitchens
ThehousesinAncientGreecewerearoundacentral
courtyard. Inmany suchhomes, a coveredbut oth-
erwiseopenhearthservedasthekitchen.Homesof
thewealthyhadthekitchenasaseparateroom,usu-
ally next to a bathroom (so that both rooms could be
heated by the kitchen fire), both rooms being acces-
siblefromthecourt.Insuchhouses,therewasoftena
separate small storage room in the back of the kitchen
usedforstoringfoodandkitchenutensils.
In the Roman Empire, most families relied on large
publickitchensfortheircookingneeds.Afewcooked
onsmallmobilebronzestoves.WealthyRomanslived
invillaswithwell-equippedkitchenswhichweresep-
arated from the rest of the living quarters andwere
operated by slaves. The kitchen remained largely
unaffected by architectural advances throughout the
MiddleAges.Openfireremainedtheonlymethodof
heatingfood.InEuropeanmedievalcities,thekitchen
still relied on open fire hearths located in the middle of
thekitchen.Incastlesandmonasteries,livingquarters
andkitchenswereinseparatebuildings.
Introduction
Because cooking hasbeen aprimarilywoman’s ac-
tivity, the kitchenhasbeenherdomain. Theearliest
known cooking environments were simple spaces
withenclosedstonehearths,pitsorovens.Overtime,
thesespacesdevelopedintoorganizedkitchenswith
shelving,worktablesandspecifictypesofcookware.
Toolsbecamemoresophisticatedwiththeonsetofthe
industrial revolution and eventually, appliances like the
refrigeratorandcookstovewereinvented.Thesetools
easedtheburdenofkitchenlaborformanywomen.
As the tools of the kitchen evolved, so too did the
kitchen space itself and where it fit into the overall
schemeofthehome.Thischapterwillcover:
•thehistoricalandculturalsignificanceofcooking
•toolsandkitchenappliances fromancient timesto
the present
•howthekitchenhasevolvedaestheticallyfromsty-
listic, material and technological standpoints
•anexplorationofthekitchenasaspaceandhowit
fits into the context of a home
•theimportanceoffoodpresentationandtherecent
development of luxury foods
IMAGE112AnexampleofanearlystoneageEuropeankitchen.
10 11
Commonality Through Cooking
Ingredients,techniquesandtoolsmayvarywidelybut
in all parts of the world throughout history, women
arethehouseholdcooks.Techniquesandrecipesare
generallypasseddownfromgenerationtogeneration,
frommothertodaughterhoweversomeculturesmain-
tainstricttraditionsaboutwhoreceivestheserecipes.
Beingagoodcookisasourceofprideformanywom-
enandprovidesthemwithstatus.
IMAGE 115
IMAGE116Inallpartsoftheworld,cookingisconsideredtobe
asocialactivity,especiallyamongthekinswomenofcommon
villages.Apachewomen(top)andLebanesewomencookin
pairs,passingdownstoriesandrecipes.
IMAGE114AgroupofcontemporarywomeninDakar,Senegal
cooktogetherandsocialize.
InLebanon,breadrecipesarepasseddownfromthe
mothertooldestdaughter(oroldestdaughter-in-law).
Somewomeninthatsocietyclaimthattheavailability
of pre-made, store bought bread has been detrimen-
tal towomen’sstatus.Thereareno longer thesame
channels to prove themselves to their peers and other
localvillagers.
Many villages around the world survive on the col-
lectiveeffortsofmanywomen.Women,especiallyof
common kin, cook together and consider cooking to
beasocialactivity.Itisasourceofprideandrespect,
awaytodefinethefamily.
In her book Male and Female Margaret Mead ob-
servedthat“ineveryknownhumansociety,themale’s
need for achievement can be recognized.Menmay
cookorweaveordressdollsorhunthumming-birds,
but if such activities are appropriate occupations of
men, then thewholesociety,menandwomenalike,
votesthemasimportant.Whenthesameoccupations
areperformedbywomen, theyare regardedas less
important.”
Even thoughwomen’swork, especially cooking,has
been historically viewed through men’s eyes as in-
significant,manywomenhavecontinued tocookas
a source of pride and identity. Psychologically and
physicallyboundtomen’sperceptions,womenhave
soughttheapprovaloftheirownfamilies,particularly
themen,throughthefoodtheycook.
IMAGE 113 Margaret Mead, an anthropologist and intellectual
posited that patriarchy necessarily limited the importance of
women’sworktomaintainmen’selevatedstatus.
Tosomewomen,cookingasanexpressionofloveis
agoodthing.Itisoftenexpressedthatthebestcooks
aretheoneswhocookwithlove.Thesewomenmay
believe that “thepersonwhocooks for the family is
continually creating one part of the reality of house-
hold lifeandconstructingherplacewithin the family
asonewhoprovidesfor theneedsofothers.”Tobe
neededandtohelpnourishone’sfamilybecomethe
mostimportanttaskswithsuchaningrainedmindset.
PatriarchyShapingWomen’sIdentitythroughCooking
12 13
Floor Plans
Thehomesof thewealthy included largekitchen fa-
cilities run by an extended status of cooks and house
servants.Thesekitchenswerefoundinthelowerre-
gionsofthehomewhere itwascooler.Atthispoint,
no one had developed a system for planning efficient
kitchensforasmallfamilyhome.
Materials + Color
During this early period in kitchen history, nearly all
appliancesweremadefromcastiron.Eventually,more
toolsweremadefromaluminum.Colorconsiderations
were necessity driven. Black, natural wood color,
grayswerethedefaultcolorsinthekitchen.
IMAGE 123
Stylistic Influences
With Queen Victoria reigning as the British monarch
fornearly70years,theVictorianstyle,withheavyor-
namentation dominated during this timeperiod. The
development of steam-powered ships and railways
marked theoncomingof thesecondwaveof the in-
dustrial revolution in the1850sand60s.TheAmeri-
canCivilWaralsoinfluencedthewaypeoplethought
abouttechnology.
IMAGE 124 An example of an early cookstove made from
castiron.
IMAGE120Womancookingonanearlycookstove,1860.
Advertising
Asmanufacturersdevelopednew technologies, they
also learned the value of marketing to homemakers,
mostofwhommadethe important foodandkitchen
relatedfinancialdecisions.
When Men Cook
Despitewomen’sdominantculinaryroleinthehome,
therearecircumstancesthatdorequirementocook.
Ingeneral,whenmencook,itisbecausetheyhaveei-
ther intentionally put themselves into isolation (camp-
ing,working in isolation) or they have fallen into ex-
tremesituations(war,naturaldisasters).
IMAGE117AbarbecuecompetitioncontestantinKansasCity.
IMAGE 118 A Mongolian herdsman takes a break from his day
tocookameal.Workinghighinmountainousregions,isolation
necessitatesselfsufficiency.IMAGE119In1906,SanFrancisco
sufferedadevastationearthquake.Manywereforcedtoliveon
thestreets.Thismanriggedupatemporarystove.
In more recent times, especially in affluent, industrial-
izedsocieties, therearemanymenwhoenjoycook-
ingasahobby.Forthiscontingentofmen,cookingis
arelaxingactivity,awaytoexpressthemselvescre-
atively.Othermenlikencookingtoasport.Competi-
tive barbecuing, for example, is a thriving community
ofmostlymenwhogrillmeatandtakegreatpridein
refiningtheirrecipes.
1850 - 1900:NewTechnologicalDevelopments
TheIndustrialRevolutionheraldedineraofnewtech-
nologies of which women and kitchen life benefited.
Duringthistimeperiod,mostkitchensweremadeup
of an open re hearth, heavy cookware, shelving and
woodentables. In ruralareas,homeswereoneroom
livingquarters,makingthekitchen,thespacewherethe
entire familyate,sleptandworked.Wealthier families
may have been able to afford servants, but nonethe-
less,womenoftenspenttheirentiredaysinthekitchen.
Ideasabouttherelationshipbetweenkitchenspaces
and tools and appliances started to take shape during
the1860s. Innovativenewtoolsandkitchenconcept
ideas flourished. Catherine Beecher included a dis-
cussion of the continuous countertop in her 1869 book
TheAmericanWoman’sHomealthoughitsimplemen-
tationdidnotoccuruntiltheearly1900s.
Innovations + Tools
An abundance of kitchen appliances started devel-
oping around the1850s. Cast iron cookstoves, hav-
ingbeendevelopedoveracenturybefore,werenow
relatively commonplace household items, especially
inurbanareas.Smallandportable, theywereeasily
operatedbycoalorwoodwithoutrequiringanyheavy
lifting. With such innovations, the way housewives
cookedandplannedtheirmealschanged.
Inadditiontothecookstove,manynewcookingtools
were invented during this time period including the
mechanical refrigerator (1861), the eggbeater, the can
opener(1870s)andthealuminumsauce-pan(1890s).
IMAGE 121
IMAGE 122 Advertisements
forearlykitchentoolswere
targeted for the female home-
maker.
14 15
courtyardsofthebuilding.Somewomencomplained
thattheyfeltisolatedwithsuchalayout.LaterGemei-
ndebauten took into account criticisms of previous so-
cialisthousingbyrelocatingthedomesticworksphere
totheperipheryofthebuildings.Inthesenewercom-
plexes,womenworkinginkitchensandlaundryrooms
werevisiblefromtheoutside.Theywere, inasense,
now interacting with the public space. The facilities
weresaidtobeairywithmodernizedequipmentand
they were all installed with running water, gas and
electricalcapabilities.
Viennaas “Gemeindebauten.”Whatmade theseso-
cialist, multi-unit housing complexes particularly novel
was the inclusion of centralized, communal kitchen
andlaundryrooms.
Communal playrooms and classrooms accommo-
datedthechildrenofthecomplexwhilediningrooms,
readingroomsandgameroomswereaddedforadults.
By1923,OttoNeurathdeclaredsocialisthousingwith
communalkitchenfacilitiestobethewaveofthefu-
ture. The Einkuchenhaus (meaning, central kitchen
house),realizedin1926,completewithcentralkitchen
anddining areawas considered to be a particularly
“luxurious”housingcomplex. Itwasbuilt for families
withworkingmothersbut therentandservicecosts
were, in actuality, too expensive for working-class
families.
IMAGE128FrigidaireRefrigeratoradvertisementfrom1926.
Thekitchen,wheremultipleindividualscookedforthe
entire housing complex, was located in the interior
The concept of the modern kitchen started taking
shapebytheturnofthecentury.Bythistime,design-
ers were already speculating on the kitchen of the
future, and the technologies that could innovate and
streamline the cooking process. Prior to this point,
kitchensweremadeupof separateunits, eachwith
differentfunctions.Astheideaofthekitchencontin-
uedtodevelop,an interest in incorporatingnewma-
terialsandtechnologypersisted.Thepoliticalclimate
encouragedsocialiststyleexperimentationwhich in-
fluenced some designers to re-conceptualize home
andkitchenlife.
Innovation + Tools
By the 1920s, nearly every kitchen had an ice box and
pantrieswerefilledwithstorebought,pre-packaged
food.Kitchenswerestill,however,madeupofseveral
separatekitchenunits,usuallyawoodburningstove,
a stand alone sink, a hotwater tank and awooden
table for cuttingandorganizing food.Linoleumcov-
eredsomekitchenfloors.
IMAGE 125- A kitchen from the year 2000 as imagined by an
illustratorfrom1900.
Materials + Color
Continuingthetrendofpastdecades,theearlytwen-
tieth century kitchen, cookstoves made from cast iron
continuedtodominatethekitchenalongwithwoodta-
blesandwhiteceramicsinks.Bythelate1920s,color
wasbeingintroducedintothekitchen.Linoleumwasa
newmaterialusedtocoverkitchenfloors.
IMAGE 126 An early kitchen features individual stand-alone
unitsofvaryingheights.
Stylistic Influences
After World War I, the political climate encouraged
a socialist outlook, one that celebrated the worker.
These ideas, most dominant in Germany and Austria,
werealsobeingexploredinlargeurbanAmericancit-
ies includingChicago,SanFranciscoandNewYork.
Stylistically,Edwardian influenceswerestillapparent
butschools liketheBauhaus inGermanywererevo-
lutionizingthewaydesignersapproachedarts,crafts
andarchitecture.
IMAGE127Bythelate1920s,colorwasbeingintroducedinto
thekitchen.
Socialist Housing’s Centralized Kitchens
One of the first individuals to Re-conceptualize the en-
tireideaofthekitchenwasOttoBauer.In1919,Bauer,
a leader of the Austrian social democratic movement,
introduced the ideaofcommunalhousing, known in
1900 - 1920: The Kitchen Space Redefined
16 17
IMAGE135MarcelBreuer’sBauhauskitchenfrom1923influ-
encedthestreamlinedkitchenofthe30sand40s.
Stylistic Influences
The 1930 – 1940swas a period ofmajor innovation
and change. Kitchen technology and style reflected
every-thingfromFord’sassemblylineprocesstothe
ArtDecomovementandFrankLloydWright.
InGermany,however,theBauhausmovementencour-
aged a design approach free from extraneous details
and over-exaggerated uses of color. In linewith the
Bauhaus school, Marcel Breuer created a kitchen
withoutornamentationandsweepingcountertops.He
also was the first designer to include wall-mounted
overheadcabinetsintothekitchen.
IMAGE136The1940skitchenincludedwhitecabinetrymade
frommetalandlittleornamentation.
Materials + Color
Kitchens in the 1930s included many coordinating
colors and patterns that referenced the Art Deco
movement.Boldcolorslikered,yellowandbluewere
used together against neutral white, tan and black
backgrounds.Brightlycoloredaccessorieslikecanis-
tersandteaservicecaddieswereplacedasaccents
through-out the kitchen. The use of linoleum floors
continued.
IMAGE 134 A kitchen from the 1930s reflect a color palette
influencedbytheArtDecomovement.
By the 1940s,many kitchenswere fittedwithmetal
cabinets(oftenpaintedwhite).Kitchenswereembold-
enedwithbrighter,morecontrastingcolorslikestrong
reds,greensandyellows.Bythispoint,kitchensbe-
came more streamlined and less reliant on artistic or-
namentation.Theuseofcontinuouscountersurfaces,
wall mounted cabinetry and kitchen floor planning
werethistime,commonplace.
During this time period, tin, chrome-plating, stainless
steelandbrasswerematerials incorporated into the
kitchentoolsmanufacturingpress.Rustproofkitchen
toolsandcutleryweredeveloped in the30s.By the
1950s the color palette included lots of pinks and tur-
quoise.
By the 1930s, the idea of the kitchen as a place for
awoman’spersonalexpressionreallystartedtotake
root.Itwasalsoaperiodofmajorkitcheninnovations.
As such, kitchens became more streamlined and
multi-purposed. Advertisers and manufacturers en-
couragedwomentocolorcoordinatethekitchenand
take advantage of the conveniences of modern tech-
nology.Although theUSsuffered through the1930s
with the Great Depression, by the 1950s, American
domestic life and kitchen consumerism reached its
peak. Kitchen culture flourished with new gadgets,
technologiesandidealisticvisionsofthefuture.
1930 - 1950: The Beginnings of Modern Conveniences
IMAGE 132 The Kelvinator refrigerator includes double the cool-
ing capacity of other refrigerators of the time according to this
1937 advertisement
18 19
IMAGE143Travellinesareshownhereintwodifferentkitchen
layouts.Walkingthroughthelowerplanrequirestheuserto
walk29yardsmorethanthetopplan.
IMAGE1401936floorplansshowbefore-and-afterkitchen
renovations.Thenewplanincludesacontinuouskitchen.
IMAGE141Thediagramtotheleftshowsthedifferenceoflay-
ingoutappliancesfurtherawayfromeachotherversusplacing
themclosertogether.
IMAGE142Intheearly1940’s,thetrianglemethodoforganiz-
ingkitchenapplianceswasfoundtobethemostefficient.The
three defined areas include storage and preservation, cleaning
andpreparation,andlastlycookingandserving.Thetriangle
relationshipshownhererepresentsthethreemostusedappli-
ancessuchassink,cooker,andrefrigerator.
IMAGE 139 A Crosley refrigerator advertisement from 1956
boastingside-be-siderefrigeratorandfreezerunits.
Kitchen Layout
Designers and engineers began experimenting with
kitchen layouts as soon as kitchens started to include
moreappliances.Whattheyattemptedtodowasfind
themostefficientwaytomaneuverfromoneappliance
to another. In 1949, Alfred Levitt, in a radicalmove,
switchedthekitchenfromthebackofthehousetothe
fronttocreategreaterefficiencyforthehousewife.The
conceptdidnothavemuchlongevity.
During the 1950s, architects and builders attempted to
createmoreintegratedlivingspaceswithopenplans.
The ideaappealedtomanyhousewiveswhowanted
tocompletetheirchoresandstill interactwith family
membersinadjoiningrooms.
Russel and Mary Wright revolutionized tabletop de-
signwiththeirsleek,modernistaestheticinthe1940s.
Theconceptbehindtheirdesignsrelatedtothenew
relaxedlifestylefollowingWorldWarII.
IMAGE137RusselandMaryWright’sdishwareappealedtothe
post-WWIIAmericanseekingasimpleandrelaxedlifestyle.
IMAGE 138 1948 General Electric refrigerator advertisement
20 21
Innovation + Tools
Although Percy Spencer invented the microwave in
1946,acceptanceofthenewtechnologytookseveral
decades. Itwasnotuntil1975,whenthemicrowave,
due to technological advancesaswell asanafford-
ableprice tag,was finally embracedby the average
consumer.
Other innovations included the first self-cleaning oven
(1967) and the first through-the-door refrigerator ice
andwaterdispenser. In the1980sdishwasherswere
morecommonplaceandrefrigeratorswereequipped
with a beepingmechanism that alerted users when
thekitchendoorwasopen.Thegarbagedisposalwas
alsoanotherpopular1980skitcheninnovation.
Materials + Color
The concept of the “state-of-the-art” kitchen devel-
opedinthe1960s.
Formica started to be used to make cabinets and
countertops.Hardwoodcontinuedtobeusedinclud-
ingwalnut,oakandcherry.Historicorgeographically
themed kitchens gained in popularity during this time,
including,forexample,VenetianorRiviera.
A trend of the 1970s was the second recreational
kitchen, most commonly used by men to clean hunt-
ingand/orfishinggame.Fashionablecolorsofthe60s
and 70s included avocado greens and golds although
stylesandcolorsvariedwidely.Theuseofplasticlam-
inatecountertopsandwoodpanelingwerecommon.
The kitchen color palette became much more neutral
by the 1980s. Kitchen cabinets were usually made
fromatreatedhardwoodsuchasoak.Somekitchens
included wall-to-wall carpeting however linoleum or
ceramictilingwasmorecommon.
By the 1960s, kitchen appliances and their configura-
tionswithin the kitchenwerewell established. Inno-
vations were more materials based. Kitchen styles,
colorsandtrendswereturningtomorepersonal, in-
dividualized tastes. Asmore andmore women held
full time jobs, kitchen spaces changed to accommo-
datetheprofessionalwomenwhowantedtospendas
muchtimeasshecouldwithherfamily.
IMAGE146Themicrowavebecameacommonkitchenappli-
anceby1975.Affordabilityandnewtechnologicaladvance-
mentsledtoconsumerinterest.
IMAGE 147 An advertisement from the 1960s promotes a Tap-
pangasrange.
Innovative Appliances + The Future Kitchen
Frigidaire continued a vision of “the kitchen of the
future” in 1957 completewith fully automated appli-
ances. Several technological innovations Frigidaire
predictedareactuallycurrentlyunderdevelopment.A
“machine”inyourkitchenthatstoresrecipes,advises
youwithdinneroptionsandbalancesyourcheckbook
is feasible with the Internet and smart refrigerators.
Howeveranautomatedcontraptionthatacceptsfood
orders, prepares dishes and then replenishes its stock
ofingredientsinminutesisstillstrictlyfantasy.
Many of the innovations during the period involved
refinements to the refrigerator. Ice trays, stainless
chromium shelves, glass topped food hydrators, and
greaterenergyefficiency.
IMAGE144-Juvenilecookbooksfromthemid-twentiethcentu-
ryencouragedgenderdifferentiation,especiallyinthekitchen.
IMAGE145Frigidaire’s1957KitchenoftheFutureenvisionedsomeofthetechnologycurrentlyunderdevelopmenttoday.
1960s - 1980s: The Established Kitchen Environment
22 23
IMAGE 153 This energy con-
serving kitchen relies on solar
power.Theskylightsfilterout
undesirablesolarrayswhile
panels on the roof collect
enough energy to heard and
coolthehouse,yearround.
IMAGE 154 The sink of the
future, as conceptualized by
Elkay in the 1970s, includes
spaces for food preparation,
cookingandclean-up.Italso
integrated a small TV and a
smallcomputer.
IMAGE155 Westinghouse
developedthe“Homemaker’s
CommandPost”which
centralizeddoorandwindow
locks, and stored up to 500
phonenumbers.
IMAGE156Honeywellimag-
ined a homemaker planning
menus and maintaining the
family budget on this fiber-
glass“computer.”
IMAGE 151 An advertisement from the 1970s feature avocado
greenappliances,apopularcoloroftheera.
Future Innovations
During the 1970s an interest in environmental con-
cernsledtothedevelopmentofaconceptsolarpow-
ered home. The kitchen’s appliance all ran on solar
power energy.Other conceptsdeveloped in the70s
included a computerized sink, a computer to help the
housewifeplanmenusandmaintainthebudgetanda
“Homemaker’sCommandPost.”
Bythe1980s,itwaseconomicsthatinfluencedchang-
esinthehome.Asmoreandmorewomenworkedfull
time, kitchen spaces opened up andwallswere re-
movedsowhentheprofessionalmomwasathomein
thekitchen,shecouldalsospendtimewithherfamily.
IMAGE152The1980sincludedkitchenswithaneutralcolor
paletteandanopenfloorplan.
IMAGE 148
IMAGE149,150Kitchensinthe1970sweredominatedby
avocadogreens,golds,woodpanelingandplasticlaminate
countertops.
Stylistic Influences
Americawasinfatuatedwiththespaceageduringthe
60sand70s.NeilArmstrong landedon themoon in
1969 and movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
andStarWars (1974) captured the cultural zeitgeist.
Perhaps this explains the resurgence of future kitchen
technologyduringthe70s.
24 25
IMAGE162Morehomeownerswanttocreatethestyleandenvi-
ronmentofindustrialcommercialkitchens.
IMAGE163Today’skitchenincludeairyspacesandfeatures
likebutcherblockcountertopsandstainlesssteelappliance.
Colorsandstylisticinfluencesvary.
IMAGE160Dishdrawersinnovatethestandarddishwasherby
keepingcleandishesinonedraweranddirtydishesinanother.
IMAGE 161 Modern kitchen color palettes tend to integrate dif-
ferentintensitiesofthesamehue.
A successful presentation includes careful consider-
ation of color, shapes, textures, portion size, flavor and
temperature.Eachofthefoodsonaplateshouldbal-
ancebytasteandappearance.
Presentation can include flourishes called garnishes
which are edible, complimentary elements. Lemon
zests,saucesandherbsarecommongarnishes.
A current presentation trend includes food presented
plainlyonaplainwhiteplate.Inthisway,foodispre-
sented in an honest and humblemanner,where the
flavors and textures of the food become the focus
ratherthanaestheticpresentation.
Stylistic Influences
Kitchens in today’s home vary in style. Country or
retro kitchens continue to be popular, however, the
dominant trend remains the stainless steel, industrial
style kitchen.Modernwith clean lines andutilitarian
functioning, the refrigerator, stovetops and sinks are
generally oversized like commercial kitchen grade res-
taurantappliances.
Food Presentation Trends
Asourtastesforfoodhavebecomeglobal,wearebe-
coming more interested in other cultural methods of
preparing and presenting foods. Japanese sushi re-
quires particularly exacting presentation techniques.
Today’sKitchen
Inmore recent times, kitchens have returned to it’s
utilitarian beginnings, although with a modernist’s
edge.Thecleanlinesfromthe40sand50sreappear,
influenced by the appliances and countertops of com-
mercialrestaurant.Kitchenscontinuetobedominated
with stainless steel appliances and fixtures and an
abundance of kitchen tools, made from steel and more
recently,siliconerubber,floodthemarket.Thekitch-
en is less of a space divided by gender and is more
equallyenjoyedandusedbymenandwomenalike.
IMAGES 157, 158 This collapsible strainer is one of many recent
cookingtoolsmadefromsiliconerubber.Halogenovens,made
fromrecentlydevelopedtechnologycooksfoodquicklywith
oven-roastresults.
Innovations + Tools
There isnoshortageof innovations in today’skitch-
en industry.New featuresand toolsareemergingat
an accelerated pace as materials and technologies
continue toevolve.Potfillerswhichoriginated in the
commercialkitchen,allowuserstofillpotswithwater
directly on the range. Thehalogenovencooks food
as quickly as the microwave but the resulting food
tastessimilar toastandardovencookedmeal.Dish
drawersarebeingpromotedaspracticalandeasy-to-
usedishwasheroptionthatstoresdirtydishesinone
drawerandcleanerdishesinanother.Siliconerubber
tools are becoming more common as the heat resis-
tant, manufacturing friendly appeals to practical and
cost-consciousconsumers.
Colors + Materials
Most luxury kitchens include stainless steel appli-
ances, stone or wood butcher block counter tops.
Although stainless steel appliances dominate the cur-
rent market, appliances continue to be available in a
wide array of colors, from bright green, yellow and
redtoneutralblacksandwhite.Kitchenspacecolor
palettesalsovaryaccording topersonalstyle.Color
trends, however, generally seem to include different
intensitiesofthesamehue.
IMAGE 159 Pot fillers originated in commercials kitchen and
haveonlynowstartedenteringdomestickitchenspaces.
26 27
IMAGE170IntheL-kitchen,thecabinetsoccupytwoadjacent
walls.Theworktriangleispreserved,andtheremayevenbe
spaceforanadditionaltableatathirdwallprovided.Itdoesn’t
intersectthetriangle.
IMAGE171AU-kitchenhascabinetsalongthreewalls,typi-
callywiththesinkatthebaseofthe“U.”Thisisatypicalwork
kitchen,too.
IMAGE 172, 173 The block kitchen (or island) is a more recent
development.Thiswouldappearinkitchensthatareavailable
inopenspace.Here,thestoveorboththestoveandthesink
areplacedwhereanLorUkitchenwouldhaveatable,ina
freestanding“island,”separatedfromtheothercabinets.In
anopenkitchen,itwouldmakethestoveaccessiblefromall
sidessuchthattwopersonscancooktogether,andallowsfor
contactwithguestsortherestofthefamily.
The Layout of the Kitchen
Kitchens are used to prepare food. The layout and
area of the kitchen depended on the design of the area
wherethekitchenwouldbelocated.Therearediffer-
ent types of arrangements of the kitchen that consist
ofkitchencabinets,sink,stove,andrefrigerator.
One of the arrangement is the single kitchen or the
one-waygalleywhichhaseverythingalongonewall.
Thissolutionwouldbeusedifthespacewasrestrict-
ed.Thismaybecommoninanatticspacethatisbeing
convertedintoalivingspace,orastudioapartment.
IMAGE 168
The double-file kitchen or two-way galley has two
rowsofcabinetsatoppositewalls,onecontainingthe
stoveandthesink,theothertherefrigerator.Thisisthe
classicalworkkitchen.
IMAGE169
IMAGE 165, 167 Fogu fish, saffron and game meat are all con-
sideredluxuryfoods.
Luxury Foods
Luxuryfoodsexistinallculturalcuisines.Theycanbe
defined as gourmet, generally rare, hard to prepare,
dangeroustoeatand/orexpensivefoods.
Examples of luxury foods include the Japanese fogu
fish(apoisonousblowfish)thatmustbepreparedbya
trainedchef.Onewhoeatstheshrisksdyingfromthe
poison.Saffronandtrufflesarealsoluxuryfoodsdue
totheirrarityandareexceptionallyexpensive.Luxury
foodsalsocanincludedishespreparedwithuniqueor
unusualcombinations.
IMAGE164Japanesemakirollsandsushirequirespecialprep-
aration.Particularattentionispaidtoitsaestheticpreparation.
28 29
Different Kitchen Layouts in Present Time
IMAGE 177 For this particular layout, the kitchen is placed on
itsrightbutwithahallwaythatdirectlyleadstotheliving/dining
roominsteadofopeningintothekitchen.
IMAGE 176 Housing layouts usually have the dining room before
the kitchen so that any guests or house member traveling in
throughtheentrancewouldnotinterferewiththekitchen.
IMAGE 174 You can see that upon the entrance of the apart-
ments, the first room is usually the kitchen and then the dining/
livingroom.
Apartments
IMAGE 175 Studio lay out
IMAGE 178
30 31
Two-Story Homes
Brown Stones
One-Story Homes
IMAGE179Forthistwostoryhome,thekitchenislocated
right near the garage for better transport of groceries from the
vehicles.Typically,thegroundfloorwouldbewherethekitchen
andlivingislocated.
IMAGE180Typically,thegroundfloorwouldbewherethe
kitchenandlivingroomislocated.
IMAGE 181 For this one story home, the kitchen is adjacent to
thediningroom.
IMAGE 182
IMAGE183ForthisTownhouselayout,thekitchenislocatedto
thepatiosidesothattherewillbebettersupervisionifchildren
arearound.Or,itmaybegoodforeasypatioaccessforout-
door cooking
32 33
Materials + Resources
Future kitchens will be made with locally produced
materials(ifpossible,within300miles,toreducethe
carboncostsof transportation).Kitchenmanufactur-
ers will bemore aware of protecting resources and
willusematerialsfrommanagedforestsandrecycled
glass, plastic and paper. Kitchen sinksmay also be
made from silicone rubber which withstands great
heat and absorbs or prevents breaking glasses and
dishes.Waterconservationwillbeanincreasinglyim-
portant issue; future kitchenswill include adjustable
heightsinkswithtwotaps;onefordrinkingandcook-
ingwater,theotherthatfunnelsinrecycledrainwater.
Allapplianceswill includewaterconserving technol-
ogy.
Appliances
Smart technologywillbe incorporated intomostap-
pliances.Akettle, forexample,will includeadisplay
thatwillinformusershowmuchtimeisleftbeforethe
waterboils.Refrigeratorswithbuilt invideocameras
andmonitorswillnotifyusersofwhattoaddtotheir
grocery shopping lists. Youwill also be able to call
yourrefrigeratortondoutwhatyouhaveonhandfor
dinner or leave reminder messages to yourself or to
familymembers.Thecooktopwillbeself-cleaningon
command.
IMAGE 185 OLEDs
IMAGE 186
The Future Kitchen
Thekitchensofthefuture,asweimaginethemtoday,
rely on computer based technologies, hidden features,
neworrecycledmaterialsandaninterestinrenewable
energy.Somedesignershavefocusedmoreonmate-
rialsandformwhileothershavebasedtheirvisionon
techno-logicaladvancements.
Future kitchen concepts continue to include an airy,
largemulti-functionalenvironmentforrecreation,work
and play. The activity of cooking becomes just one
moreoptiontoconsiderinthekitchen.
IMAGE 184 A future kitchen include integrated technological
innovations rather than large stand alone computer units as
envisionedinthe70s.
Technology
“Historically, technology has entered the home
through the kitchen,” says Ted Selker, an associate
professoratMITwhose labexplores the technology
offuturekitchens.Hisproposedtechnologyincludes
a “hydroponiccupboardwithanultrasonicevapora-
tor” thatkeeps leafygreensandherbs freshaswell
asa“warmcompartment”withintherefrigeratorwith
a special atmosphere that prevents the oxidation of
fruitsandvegetables.Healsoenvisionskitchenappli-
anceswithtouchscreendisplays.Computermonitors
will be built into kitchen units to provide the conve-
nienceofinstantaccesstoinformation.
InnovatorsatGEhavedevelopedkitchenswith“pre-
dictivecomputing”toanticipatetheneedsofitsusers.
ThekitchenwillbelinkedtotheInternetandallother
systemoperationsinthehouse.Organiclight-emitting
diodes(OLEDs)will illuminatethekitchenfromfabric
ceilingsoreventhefloor,withoutglare.Lightswitches
willbecomeunnecessaryassmartlightingwilldetect
when a user is coming or going. The entire kitchen
surfacewillbetouchsensitivewith“multiplelevelsof
interaction”and“complexinformationnavigation”ca-
pabilities.GEalsoenvisionsclean,bacteriafreewater
purified via ultraviolet light
34 35
Hidden Features
Doors slide open to reveal hidden cutting boards,
burners,hardwareandjoints.Invisiblesensorsreveal
faucets,turnonlightsandopendoors.Spaceandsur-
face,ratherthanfeatures,becomethefocalpoint.
IMAGE 194 Minotti introduced the monolithic Terra kitchen in
2004.Itsapproachistohideallevidenceofthekitchenuntilit
actuallyneedstobeused.
Integration
Futurekitchenswilllinkmulti-functionalproductsand
appliances with interactive controls. Some designs
appeartotakeonalinearmonoblockapproach.Other
kitchens emphasize the unique qualities of furniture
styledunits.
IMAGE189GE’sconceptkitchenreliesheavilyonnewmethods
oftechnologyintegration,energyefficienciesandwatercon-
servation.
IMAGE190VervebyErnestomedaplayswithsurface,reflection
andlight,intersectingthekitchen’senvironmentwithitsinterior
cabinetspace.Thereflectionofthekitchenaccentsthesurface
ofthecabinetswhilethecabinets’contentsarejustvisible
throughthefrostedglassdoors.
Design Trends
Thekitchenisbeingviewedlessasautilitarianspace
andmorelikethenucleusoffamilylife.Kitchenswillre-
flect this concept, accommodating multiple activities,
usersandneeds.Thedominant themesarewarmth,
comfortandpersonalization.Familieswillcongregate
in the kitchen rather than the living room for entertain-
ment,workandsocializing.
IMAGE187Applianceswillintegratetechnologythatinteracts
withusers,homesystemsandtheinternet.
IMAGE188Ernestomeda’sSolarisisacountertop,cookingunit
andaworktablewithabuilt-insinkandburners.
IMAGES191,193Bulthaup’sb3kitchenunits’handle-free
doors and hidden joints enhance the stainless steel and glass
surface.
36 37
Sculptural
Unitingnew technologywith futuristic forms,several
kitchen manufacturers are developing kitchen units
withsculpturalelements.Theseunitsincorporatethe
functionality of a standard technologically enhanced
kitchenbutpushtheboundariesofwhatkitchenunits
canorshouldlooklike.
IMAGE 195 The Bo Zone kitchen hides appliances and shelving
behindslidingco-planardoors(openinglikeanaccordion).The
kitchen’sotherfunctionalelementsarealsoconcealeduntil
needed.Doorhandlesare“invisible”andastainlesssteelwork-
topappearstooatontopofitsaluminumframe.A“blu-motion
seal-mechanism”imbeddedintothecabinetryensuresthat
doorswillshutquietly.
IMAGE196ZahaHadid,inconjunctionwithDupontCorian
andErnestomeda,createdZ.Island,akitchenwithtwofree
standingunits.The“Fire”unitincludesacooktopstoveand
multimediatechnology.Thehexagonallyshaped“water”unit
comeswithasink,built-indryingrackanddishwasher.
IMAGE197DesignedbyEnzoEusebiofNothingStudio,
NotForFoodisafurniture/kitchenconceptbyBerloni.
Made from carbon ber, the kitchen unit includes a seating
area,worktop,diningareaandtheintegrationofamusic
systemandtheInternet.
38 39
Unique Surfaces
Although most kitchen are still dominated by the use
ofstainlesssteelorwood,afewkitchendesignersare
experimentingwithnewanddifferentsurfacetextures
and materials. DuPont’s corian looks like stone but
embodiesthedurabilityofmoretraditionalmaterials.
Other interesting options include glass, fabric, plastics
andcarbonfiber.
IMAGES198,199StratoCucinecreated“UniquePieces,”a
kitchenmadeprimarilyfrompolishedandopaquesteel.The
kitchen stresses the importance of aesthetics in even the most
utilitariansettings.
IMAGE203Venus’byPininfarina’sinnova-
tive use of coral red steel counter tops
createadesirablytouchablesurface.It’s
“microtouch”finishinmicrofiberhasa
uniqueleather-likefeel.
IMAGES200,201Santambrogiomilano’sSimplicityProjectisoneofthefirstkitch-
enstomakeuseofthetransparentqualityofglasstohighlightitseverydayuses.
Withglassastheirbackdrop,waterandreseemtooatinmidair.
IMAGE202UsingBrazilianSukupirawoodandbronzemetal,ArmaniCasa’s
Bridgekitchenwascreatedtoshowcasethebeautyofthematerialsononeside
andthefunctionalityofthekitchenonitsreverse.
40 41