If houses are overcrowded there may be a need for many places to cook – inside the house, on verandah areas and outdoor cooking areas in the yard. Cooking preferences may differ between age groups, regions and the type of food available.

Whether the facilities are located in the house or in the surrounding yard area, all the component parts of the kitchen should support the storage, preparation and cooking of food to improve the nutrition available to all family members. The following list summarises the main design issues detailed in preceding B4 subsections.

The summary of national house function data from over 6,000 houses show only 12% of surveyed houses had a kitchen that allowed residents to improve nutrition by being able to store, prepare and cook food.

Ensure

• B4.5 .1.

  the kitchen is located where it is easily accessed from inside and outside eating areas, and can be accessed by people with disabilities

• B4.5 .2.

  minimum 1550mm diameter clearance between workbenches or in front of appliances to ensure suitable manoeuvrability

• B4.5 .3.

  the access to the kitchen is not near the access to bathroom and toilet areas

• B4.5 .4.

  the kitchen has natural light and ventilation

• B4.5 .5.

  there is adequate bench space and high level (above bench height) storage

• B4.5 .6.

  there is enough space for a combined fridge and freezer to be stored in the kitchen, and it is not located on an external wall likely to be heated by the sun

• B4.5 .7.

  to specify an easy-to-clean wall surface from floor to underside of benches or cupboards, such as sheet vinyl or large ceramic tiles

• B4.5 .8.

  there is waterproofing to the floor, the floor-wall junctions and junctions with to the underside of cupboards and area behind the kitchen sink

• B4.5 .9.

  to provide a space for a kitchen rubbish bin that features a secure lid, can be lined is safely located away from young children and is not easily accessed by dogs or vermin

• B4.5 .10.

  the location of any outdoor cooking area is protected from extreme weather conditions, such as winter winds and summer sun

Consider

For indoor cooking areas, consider:

• shading or protecting the kitchen from hot afternoon sun
• allowing enough space for a chest freezer to be stored in or near the kitchen
• using non-slip water proof flooring, such as a welded sheet vinyl
• supplying non-tempered hot water at the kitchen sink (approximately 55ºC) to help flush grease and fats through the waste pipes
• providing a separate tap for supplying rainwater at the kitchen sink
• providing a floor waste outlet to help when cleaning the kitchen
• selecting and locating power points, switches, stove controls and taps to allow people with disabilities to reach and use them.

For verandahs and yard kitchens, consider:

• providing a robust, waterproof bench, finished in a material like stainless steel
• including a sink or tub with running water and connected to the drainage system, for washing food and utensils
• providing high shelves to store food and utensils safely away from children, sheltered from the weather and able to protect food from scavenging animals and vermin,
• creating a dry, secure place to store fire wood that is well away from the walls of the house to reduce fire risk and termite attack
• providing a place to cook, such as a barbeque, fire pit or drum oven, ideally using a different fuel from the inside stove
• supplying a secure storage area for the rubbish bin to deposit food scraps and kitchen waste
• making a sheltered place to eat
• providing a slip resistant path between indoors and the outdoor cooking area, which is accessible to people with disabilities.

Real world examples of Solutions

• Outside kitchen areas are important in rural and remote housing

• the kitchen is located where it is easily accessed from inside and outside eating areas, and can be accessed by people with disabilities
  

  When: SKETCH DESIGN

• the access to the kitchen is not near the access to bathroom and toilet areas
  

  When: SKETCH DESIGN

• the kitchen has natural light and ventilation
  

  When: SKETCH DESIGN
  AT HANDOVER

• there is adequate bench space and high level (above bench height) storage
  

  When: SKETCH DESIGN

• there is enough space for a combined fridge and freezer to be stored in the kitchen, and it is not located on an external wall likely to be heated by the sun
  

  When: SKETCH DESIGN
  AT HANDOVER

• in the kitchen, specify an easy-to-clean wall surface from floor to underside of benches or cupboards, such as sheet vinyl or large ceramic tiles
  

  When: COMPLETED DESIGN & SPECIFICATION
  AT HANDOVER

• there is waterproofing to the floor, the floor-wall junctions and junctions with the underside of cupboards and area behind the kitchen sink
  

  When: COMPLETED DESIGN & SPECIFICATION
  DURING CONSTRUCTION
  TRADE TEST

• to provide a space for a kitchen rubbish bin that features a secure lid, can be lined is safely located away from young children and is not easily accessed by dogs or vermin
  

  When: SKETCH DESIGN
  COMPLETED DESIGN & SPECIFICATION

• the location of any outdoor cooking area is protected from extreme weather conditions, such as winter winds and summer sun
  

  When: SKETCH DESIGN
  COMPLETED DESIGN & SPECIFICATION

Wright, A. 2006 Review of the robust bin in 5 sites across WA. Centre for Appropriate Technology and Department of Housing and Works.

Centre for Appropriate Technology ‘Drum Oven’ http://www.icat.org.au/documents/drum_oven.pdf#search=%22drum%20oven%22