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https://studentshare.org/family-consumer-science/1407360-this-is-about-my-engineering-class.
Urban homes in the contemporary age are well decorated and in accord with the modernistic trends in architecture, appliances, and luxury items. Married people have developed nuclear families in which both partners work and earn. Their hectic routine leaves them with little to no time for cooking. This causes them to rely upon ready-made food that is often a compromise upon the individuals’ hygiene and money. In such circumstances, people look forward to kitchen appliances that are more efficient and time-saving.
The conventional kitchen:
A kitchen is a place meant for cooking food and storing raw ingredients as well as the cooked food. A gas or electric stove is a must feature of the contemporary kitchen in urban houses. Most of the modern-day kitchens do have a microwave oven in them. The kitchen has a refrigerator that is a fundamental means of storing food and raw ingredients. A deep freezer accommodates frozen food and ice. A sink is necessarily employed as a place of dishwashing, thus necessitating the facility of fresh clean tap water. In addition to that, kitchens have cupboards and wooden cabinets that are meant for placing utensils, and various culinary dishes. An exhaust fan is provided in the kitchen for regulating the air. Some families prefer to have their kitchen large enough to accommodate dining tables as well.
The Conventional Kitchen (Gowtham Enterprises).
Guidelines for design of kitchen furniture:
Before developing a model for “mobile kitchen furniture assembly”, it is customary to study the guidelines that are conventionally laid for designing the kitchen furniture. The kitchen furniture is fundamentally made up of wood, plastic, and steel (stainless or mild). Wood is protected with varnish or plastic lamination. For pans, shelves made in metal remain the best. In order to increase the usable space, doors and windows can be made sliding. Cutting is facilitated by such utensils as cutting boards and knives, all placed in pull-out drawers. Location of draining boards is considered most convenient in-floor units. Dishwashers should be on either side of the sink.
Preferred kitchen furniture design:
A survey was conducted to establish a kitchen furniture design according to the choice of consumers. In order to achieve this, he carried out a survey in which he proposed three design models for the respondents to choose the best from. The three models along with the graded response are shown in the figure below:
Kitchen furniture design models (Thakur 46).
As evident from the picture above, maximum respondents chose model A as their preferred kitchen furniture design. The kitchen furniture design model should provide the consumers with the following facilities:
1. The counters’ height should be adjustable.
2. The furniture should be capacious enough to accommodate consumers’ culinary appliances.
3. Furniture should not be fixed and should be stylish, and lightweight.
4. A compact kitchen furniture assembly was high in demand among the consumers.
5. The look should be modernistic and the price should be affordable.
6. The system should be as user-friendly as possible and should avoid the requirement of multitasking which may complicate the kitchen works.
7. There should be centralized interaction between the furniture appliances and the consumers.
8. A central remote should work for all units
9. The system should be dynamic so that the consumers may adjust it according to their kitchen space.
Final design:
The following design can be proposed to meet the needs of working-class consumers. The kitchen furniture model shown below is an all-in-one model. The units can be moved to make the model compact or elongated as per the space available in the kitchen. The figure below shows the model’s top view, front and back elevation in both forms, compact and elongated:
The final design (Thakur 73).
Characteristic features of the final design:
The final kitchen furniture assembly consists of a cooking workstation. Various units can be arranged so as to suit the needs of the consumers. The kitchen can be expanded and compacted as per the availability of space. The model provides the consumers with mobility freedom. Cubes visible in the pictures above can be packed so as to ease the process of shifting. The installation is quick and assembly is simple. The whole kitchen is a one-time investment. Users may purchase individual modules as per their needs. The design complies with the modernistic standards of style, fashion, and usability. The units are provided with castor wheels at their base so as to facilitate movement. The units are encased in steel and are thus, provided protection against termite attack. The counter is made in stainless steel that makes it easy to clean and also, lends it an aesthetically elegant look, which is the consumers’ primary demand in the contemporary age. The model consists of baskets and trays that allow organized storage of food. There is room for storage of such kitchen accessories as soap, knives, spoons, cups, plates, and grater. The height of the counter can be adjusted as per the convenience of the user.
Critique of the final design:
There are some demerits of this model along with numerous merits. Some of the demerits are as follows:
1. The modular assembly does not allow the incorporation of units of the user’s choice.
2. Design can not be customized as per the user’s choice.
3. If some unit stops functioning, there are no spare parts in the market.