AN ANALYSIS OF KITCHEN
JOINERY ADAPTABILITY AND EASE OF CHANGE
STUDENT: CLAUDIA HARACH
COLLABORATORS:
NAT
DIET RESEARCH
Vegan Diet
According to Gallagher et al., most vegans are choosing a plant-based diet because they identify as “health conscious”. Of this cluster, vegans are excluding most processed prducts whilst opting for fruit/vegetable/ protein alternatives to meat/ fish and refined grains. (Gallagher et al., 2022, p. 1314)
Vegetables include... Carrots; spinich; broccoli, cabbage, peas, green beans, tomatoes and so on...
Protein alternatives definition... Soya, Tempeh, Tofu, lentils, pulses, nuts, falafal and so on...
Dairy alternatives include... Oat milk, soya milk, almond milk, yogurt alternative, vegan cheese.
Vegan Foods and Temperature
FOOD TEMPERATURE
Vegan Cheese 3-5°C
Cucumbers/ Broccoli
3-5°C
General Design Considerations/ Notes
The following kitchens are designed in a way that ensures no elements are fixed to the walls/ floor. This ensures adaptabiltiy and ease of change.
In order to ensure longevity of the kitchen design, research into suitable kitchens for elderly occupants and wheelchair users has been considered.
I am proposing that we opt out of fridges for the future and instead use electrical ovens to cook.
The following kitchen proposals provide methods of preserving foods without the need for a fridge as a distinguishable feature. Removing the fridge from the kitchen reduces energy consumption of the kitchen. A typical single door fridge and freezer unit was found online and found that this kind of fridge consumes 346 kWh/ year of energy and a larger, double door, or 490L fridge from Noel Leeming with a 3-star energy rating consumes 435 kWh/ year (Noel Leeming).
All dimensions in mm.
All information in this illustrated report is derived from online readings and gathering of facts.
Modular Design
The kitchen is designed in a way that each piece of furniture is on wheels, can be moved around and swapped out based on preference. The different furniture pieces come in a configuration of colours to allow for self-expression in the kitchen.
As well as being on wheels, the stainless steel bench legs have adjustable height capabilities to allow for use by occupants of different heights/ capabilities.
DESIGN FOR 2 PEOPLE | VEGAN/VEGETARIAN | APARTMENT/
RESIDENTIAL | CLOSE TO THE CITY
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Food Safe
Located on the south side of the house, this insulated room is intended to stay at a cold temperatures by exposure to the outside temperature. In New Zealand, this design is particularly useful due to low temperatures. The temperature of this safe is the same as the outside temperature. Eggs, fruits, 15 degrees in safe. Putting opened milk, vegan cheese, foods that need to be kept at 5 degrees should be consumed within a day. Homemade almond milk is easy to make and should be the option as the desired quantity for each day can be made. If the occupants are finding it difficult to preserve their food without a fridge, than a small, energy efficient fridge can be u
Transport
This design considers that the owners are walking distance from the shops/ dairy. Since there is no fridge,
Storage
For this scale kitchen, a below bench trolley has been chosen to store kitchen iteams such as flour, sugar, spices etc. A moveable trolley allows the above bench space to be used.
Identiy and Self Expression
Different colour options for the stainless steel storage buckets are present to allow for customisability and identity expressed through the kitchen design.
Oven
The stove/ oven unit consists of two elements in order to allow for cooking to take place and runs on electricity.
Appliances
The first recomendation is always to use second hand appliances for this kitchen, however, if new appliances are chosen, a manual about different products and their toxicity is provided to allow for customers to make an educated choice.
Inclusivity
All stainless stell legs are adjustable to allow for height changes. The space below the bench space has been left open/ with the open to be clear to allow for wheelchair users to use the benchtop. The food safe has pull out shelves to allow for access over the bench.
a. Food safe: door to safe should be airtight as there are louvers on the external walls of the safe. This safe has external louvers allowing the cold air to circulate and keep the items at the outside temperature.
b. Sink with chopping board cover for extra bench space.
c. Below bench trolley storage. For storage of flour/ sugar/ airtight container for bread. The top shelf has a lid that can be pulled off. This allows it to double has extra bench space.
d. Shelf for cups/ plates/ bowls/ commonly used utensils.
DESIGN FOR 4 PEOPLE | VEGAN/VEGETARIAN | RESIDENTIAL |
Root Cellar
Root cellars have been used throughout history to keep root vegetables and other products cool by creating a space that keeps food supplies at controlled temperatures and steady humidity (
Other food supplies placed in the root cellar during winter include beets, onions, jarred preserves and jams, salt meat, salt turbot, salt herring, winter squash, and cabbage.
Transport
This design considers that the owners are walking distance from the shops/ dairy. Since there is no fridge,
Storage
For this scale kitchen, a below bench trolley has been chosen to store kitchen iteams such as flour, sugar, spices etc. A moveable trolley allows the above bench space to be used.
Identiy and Self Expression
Different colour options for the stainless steel storage buckets are present to allow for customisability and identity expressed through the kitchen design.
Oven
The stove/ oven unit consists of two elements in order to allow for cooking to take place and runs on electricity. The oven is a benchtop small oven for occasional cooking. If the space has access to plenty of direct sunlight (north facing) an electric stove top can be swapped out for a solar oven.
Appliances
The first recomendation is always to use second hand appliances for this kitchen, however, if new appliances are chosen, a manual about different products and their toxicity is provided to allow for customers to make an educated choice.
Inclusivity
All stainless stell legs are adjustable to allow for height changes. The space below the bench space has been left open/ with the open to be clear to allow for wheelchair users to use the benchtop. The food safe has pull out shelves to allow for access over the bench.
Cleaning
There is floor space underneath. Should be easy to clean and moveable furniture makes it easier also. The gaps in the surface - counter separate to sink to chopping board stuff can be done over the sink and disposed of directly into the sink.
a. Food safe: door to safe should be airtight as there are louvers on the external walls of the safe. This safe has external louvers allowing the cold air to circulate and keep the items at the outside temperature. The room is large enough for a family of up to six and wheelchair access has been considered.
b. The dining table doubles as a working surface, reducing the need for extra bench space.
c. Below bench trolley storage. For storage of flour/ sugar/ airtight container for bread. The top shelf has a lid that can be pulled off. This allows it to double has extra bench space.
d. Shelf for cups/ plates/ bowls/ utensils.
Inclusive Alternative
Rotating storage bins in a dark, masonary room to allow for ease of reach for wheelchair users.
DESIGN FOR 2+ PEOPLE | MEAT EATERS | RESIDENTIAL/ APARTMENT
Root Cellar
Root cellars have been used throughout history to keep root vegetables and other products cool by creating a space that keeps food supplies at controlled temperatures and steady humidity (
Other food supplies placed in the root cellar during winter include beets, onions, jarred preserves and jams, salt meat, salt turbot, salt herring, winter squash, and cabbage.
Meat Preservation
If not using a fridge, meat preservation techniques can be implemented to store meat. The following methods are an option:
1. Curing - salt is added to the meat to control the moisture and prevent the growth of microorganisms.
2. Dehydration - this removes the moisture from the meat without affecting the nutritional value of the food.
3. Freeze drying - a process where the meat’s moisture has been removed and left in a vacuum chamber to take out the ice and convert it into vapour.
Dairy Preservation
The reason milk needs to be refrigerated in New Zealand is due to the fact that it is pasteurised at only 75 degrees celcius, wheras in some European countries for example, it is pasteurised at much higher temperatures, reducing the risk of bacterial growth. Dairy products can be consumed as part of our diets without the need for a fridge in our homes. By storing dairy products in a south-facing, masonary room with stone shelves for example, you are creating an environment where the product is at a temperature below 10 degrees celcius. When the milk starts to smell sour after about 3 days, use it to bake scones.
Solar Oven
SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
If your home has an outdoor area that gets plenty of direct sunlight, you can use items from around the house to make a homemade solar oven which can heat leftovers, melt cheese and much more using the suns energy.
Root Cabinet
If you have a window in your kitchen, having a cabinet with mesh doors right next to it for your root vegetables (carrots, onions, potatoes, apples) can help to keep these foods at the correct humidity to avoid them from rotting. By putting this cabinet near an operable window, fresh air can constantly pass through the mesh, allowing the vegetables to remain dry.
Wood Cook Stove
Having a cast iron wood stove is a great alternative to the electrical oven if you love to cook and live in a cold climate such as the South Island in NZ. This form of oven uses wood to heat food (timber is a biomass and is a renewable resource). In addition, in a tight space, the oven can double as a space heater when in use. This reduces the need for heating and reduces energy consumption of the household.
Clean Energy
Where possible, include solar panels or wind turbines in your house to consider clean energy sources.
Kinetic energy floors are a new method of energy creation. These work by creating electricty from people’s footsteps and movement. Therefore for a kitchen for a family of 4+ integrating these innovative tiles can produce energy to support the running of the kitchen.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ACADEMIC SOURCES...
Gallagher, C. T., Hanley, P., & Lane, K. E. (2022). Pattern analysis of vegan eating reveals healthy and unhealthy patterns within the vegan diet. Public Health Nutrition, 25(5), 1310–1320. https://doi.org/10.1017/ S136898002100197X
GENERAL READING/ BLOGS
How is milk made? (n.d.). Retrieved June 7, 2024, from https://www. anchordairy.com/nz/en/about-us/our-quality-promise-trustedgoodness/how-is-the-milk-made.html
Potter, A. (2020, July 12). Vegan food storage tips to prevent food waste and keep food fresh. Vegan Food & Living. https://www. veganfoodandliving.com/vegan-diet/vegan-nutrition/vegan-foodstorage-tips/
Powering the dance floor with electricity—Literality—PowerHub. (n.d.). Retrieved June 7, 2024, from https://powerhub.com/powering-thedance-floor-with-electricity/
Rush, N. (2022, December 15). How Do You Store Raw Meat Without Refrigeration? NoRush NZ. https://www.norush.co.nz/blogs/articlesby-no-rush/how-do-you-store-raw-meat-without-refrigeration
Pasteurization | Definition, Process, Inventor, & Facts | Britannica. (n.d.). Retrieved June 7, 2024, from https://www.britannica.com/technology/ pasteurization#ref248665
Why do we refrigerate eggs and milk while other countries don’t? (2024, February 3). WGN-TV. https://wgntv.com/news/why-do-werefrigerate-eggs-and-milk-while-other-countries-dont/