Planning Service &Work Areas

1. Planning Service &Work Areas Service areas: Parts of homes that sustain all other areas.

2. Kitchens • Center for meal preparation and cleanup. • Newer homes typically have kitchens that are open to the living , family, or dining rooms. • More convenient for supervising or joining nearby activities while working in kitchen. • Also helps small kitchens seem larger • May have facilities for dining, laundering, or doing office work in addition to preparing meals. • Should have ample workspace and adequate storage.

3. Location • Should be located near the service entrance of a home as well as the dining area. • If the family grills a lot, it should also be located near the patio or deck. • If family has children, they may want the kitchen to oversee the outdoor play area or recreation room. • Should have access to the main entry and the living room.

4. Size • The size of the kitchen depends on the level of activity that will take place. • The space needed for a couple that eats out a lot would not meet the needs of a family with children who eat most meals at home. • Small kitchens range from 60 to 130 sq. ft.

5. Arrangement • Extra space may be needed for eating areas, laundry facilities, or a home office.

6. Work Centers • Work center: is an area for performing related task and storing the necessary tools. • Most kitchens have three basic work areas: • Food preparation and storage center, Cooking and serving center, and Cleanup center. • Larger kitchens may have centers for mixing, planning, snacking, dining, or laundry.

7. Food Preparation and Storage Center • Food preparation and storage center focuses of the refrigerator area. • Cabinets and counter space beside the refrigerator are a part of this center. • Wall and base cabinets are used for storing nonperishable foods, food containers, and serving dishes. It also stores mixing bowls, measuring tools, baking utensils, baking ingredients, and small appliances. • A counter at least 18” wide is needed on the door-opening side of the refrigerator for setting out supplies and preparing food.

8. Cooking and Serving Center • Cooking and serving center concentrates on the cooking surface. • The focal point is the cooking surface. • Can be a freestanding range or a separate appliance installed in a heat-resistant counter. • Needs an exhaust system to ventilate the air. • Should have at least 24” of counter space on either side to put ingredients and utensils needed for cooking.

9. Cleanup Center • Cleanup center focuses on the sink area. • May include a dishwasher and garbage disposal. • Foods are cleaned, and dishes and utensils are washed. • When a dishwasher is present, it is usually placed next to the sink to connect most directly to the water source and allows easy loading.

10. The Work Triangle • Work Triangle: the route that connects the refrigerator, sink, and range. • Should total no more than 22 ft. when measuring from the midpoints of the three focal points. • Food is taken from the refrigerator, cleaned at the sink, and taken to the range for cooking. Leftovers are returned to the refrigerator.

11. Appliances and Cabinets • Kitchen appliances come in a variety of types, sizes, shapes, and colors. • Cabinets can be custom-made or manufactured. • Standard wall cabinets generally range from 12 to 13” deep. • Standard size of base cabinets is 34 ½” high by 24” deep. • Cleaning products should be stored under sink. • Lazy Susan can maximize corner-cabinet space.

12. Counters • Prepared in made-to-order sections. • Should be durable, easy to clean, and nonabsorbent. • Suitable materials: ceramic, metal, wood, plastic, and stone. • Plastic laminate countertops are the most affordable. • Kitchens need plenty of outlets for electric appliances and lighting.

13. Kitchen Designs: U-Shaped • Work centers form a continuous line along three adjoining walls. • One of the most popular kitchen layouts and the most efficient. • Advantages: It prevents circulation from passing through the work triangle and provides ample cabinet and counter space.

14. Kitchen Designs: L-Shaped • Work centers form a continuous line along two adjoining walls. • Most popular layout because it adapts to a variety of room plans. • In large rooms, this allows room for an eating area. • Advantage: prevents circulation from interrupting the work triangle.

15. Kitchen Designs: Corridor • Has work centers placed along two walls that are divided by an aisle 4-5 ft. wide. • Advantages: • A compact work triangle (but too long of a room will create an extended work triangle that requires too many steps.) • Can be located between two eating areas, an informing and a formal dining area. • Disadvantage: If the corridor is open on both ends, circulation through the corridor may interfere with the work triangle.

16. Kitchen Designs: One-wall • Has all the appliance and cabinets located on one wall. • Often used where space is limited, such as in an apartment or summer cottage. • When not in use, it is often closed off by a folding door. • Least desirable layout because it has a long, narrow work triangle with insufficient cabinet and counter space.

17. Kitchen Designs: Peninsula • U-shaped kitchen with a counter extending from one end of the U. • Often used to separate the kitchen from an adjoining family room or a dining room. • The peninsula can serve as a mixing counter, a cooking and serving center, a cleanup center, a counter for informal eating, or just additional counter and storage space.

18. Kitchen Designs: Island • Has a separate counter unit that stands alone. • May be a variation of the U-shaped, L-shaped, or one-wall kitchen. • A clearance of 4 ft. should be allowed on all sides of the island. • The island divides the food prep area from the rest of the room and can serve all the same functions as a peninsula.

19. Laundry Facilities • May vary from a washer and dryer tucked in a closet to a separate laundry room with plenty of floor and counter space. • Activities involved: sorting and preparing clothes for washing, washing by hand or machine, drying (air drying or machine drying), folding, ironing, and possibly mending.

20. Location • Requires hot and cold water lines, a 240-volt electrical outlet, possibly a gas line, and an outside wall for a dryer vent may limit the choice of locations. • May be located in the kitchen, mudroom, utility room, sleeping area, basement, or a separate room. • A good place for a laundry room is between the kitchen and bedroom area.

21. Laundry in/near the Kitchen • Advantage: ability to supervise laundry duties and other tasks at the same time while saving steps. • Disadvantage: may be lack of adequate space for folding and ironing.

22. Laundry in Mudroom • Advantage: • Allows soiled clothing to be removed immediately rather than walked through the house. • If the household has a washer, but no dryer, close proximity of the washer to the service entrance is convenient for taking laundry outside to line dry.

23. Laundry in Sleeping Area • Advantage: Since this is where soiled clothes are removed and clean clothes are stored, it is very convenient to have the laundry in the sleeping area. • Disadvantage: Washer and dryer can be noisy, making this location less desirable to some households.

24. Laundry in the Basement • Disadvantage: • Unless there is a laundry chute, extra time and energy is required to carry the laundry up and down stairs. • Doing laundry in the basement makes it difficult to combine that task with other household activities.

25. Size • The more family members, the more laundry, so more space is needed for sorting, folding, and hanging clothes.

26. Arrangement • Equipment needed: sink or laundry tub, the washer, and a dryer. • Counter space is needed in the sink area for pre-treating stains and in the dryer area for folding clean clothes. • Storage for laundry supplies is also needed. • Space should also be allowed for ironing and hanging clean clothes.

27. Basements • Laundry facilities, a furnace or utility room, a workshop, and storage are often located in a basement. • When part or all of the basement is used in a service capacity, an exterior entrance to the basement is helpful.

28. Moisture is a primary concern in basements causing dampness and humidity which can damage stored items in the basement and make the environment uncomfortable. • This condition can be reduced by providing proper ventilation and using a dehumidifier. • Insulating walls with moisture-resistant insulation also reduced the amount of dampness in a basement.

29. Garages and Carports-Location • Should be located at the service entrance so packages and groceries can be carried directly from car to kitchen.

30. Size & Design • Garages or carports can be any size you need them. • The design should complement the design of the house. • Two car garage doors should be 16 ft. wide and 7ft. tall.

31. Service Entry • Service entry is a house entrance that usually leads to the work area, often the kitchen. • Groceries and laundry are brought in and out of here. • Family members tend to use this entrance rather than the main/front entrance. • Preferably opens into a mudroom or utility room. • Should provide room for taking off and storing coats and other outdoor clothing. • Prevents the tracking of mud and snow into the house.

32. Special Purpose Rooms • Special purpose rooms are separate rooms dedicated to a single purples • Home office, exercise room, darkroom, library, sewing room, arts and crafts studio, hobby room, workshop, music room, greenhouse, and billiard room

33. Home Office • The electric utility company can determine if sufficient electricity is available for home office equipment by performing an energy audit. • A surge suppresser on every outlet that supplies energy to office equipment should be considered

34. Storage • Approximately 10% of the space in a house should be allowed for storage. • When planning storage, plan first for the larger pieces, then the smaller items. • Space for a desk and conference table should be planned first, followed by where the file cabinet and shelving would go.

35. Built-in storage: attached permanently to the walls, ceilings and floors. • Usually require less space • Limit furniture arrangement possibilities and cannot be moved easily. • Freestanding storage units: • Can be moved easily • Range from small boxes to large wall units • Cabinets, shelf nits, wall units, wardrobe closets, trunks, and storage racks.

36. Adaptations for Special Needs • Under cabinets, wheelchair footrests need a toe space that is 6 in deep and 8” to 11” high. • Shelves should not be higher than 48”. • Garage space that is 5 ft. wide is needed next to the car for wheelchair users.