Diploma Portfolio 01 : Kitchen Design

Summary

This design added small elements to a north facing kitchen that made it function more effectively.
Overall aim: to maximise light and space so that (the kitchen) would be a nice holding space as well as storing space. A space for living in as well as passing through.
Framework: SADIMET (Survey, Analyse, Design, Implement, Maintain, Evaluate, Tweak)
Tools: Base maps, Overlays, Sector anaysis, Microclimates, McHarg’s exclusion model.
Principles: Holmgren
Key successes: Making crockery and wooden boards more accessible and warm by putting them on new shelves over the radiator; designing a hanging system for herbs in the window with a pulley system for easy access; implementing new systems for waste water collection (for the garden) and excess hot water collection (into a flask)
Key challenges and how they were overcome: to increase light and warmth into the room – overcome by placing plants between rather than in front of the window, capturing the warmth that was there (through the plates etc.) and by additional curtain insulation on the doorways.
Evaluation of the Content: My first ever design and there were overall some really successful outcomes. The kitchen was improved as a living space by having plants hanging in the window and having more accessible plates/boards.
Reflection on the Process: Going through the process of SADIMET made me think more about the detail of the ideas that I had in the back of my mind when I started this – effectively slowing me down. And by experimenting with tools such as zoning the cupboards made me think much more about what I had and whether I needed it or not. Using the zoning tool as a ‘time’ tool was also useful – ie the ‘closest’  zone (0) correlated to ‘use it every day’ and the ‘furthest’ zone (5) to never use it (with an action to get rid of it).