The kitchen of tomorrow

Task 2015 - 2017

The aim of this study project is to find out more about the ideas and needs that people associate with the kitchen as a living space. Different lifestyles are to be identified and their impact on the demands placed on kitchen design determined. Through the development of scenarios and eating and living habits, models are developed that provide conclusions for the future design of kitchens.

The concepts are aimed at preserving the kitchen as a living space and designing it in such a way that it is conducive to an active cooking culture and a healthy diet. At the same time, the kitchen should impress with an appealing design and optimum functionality. The results are made available to the participating kitchen manufacturers and planners. The overall aim is to promote and develop a passion for cooking.

The student concepts

The analysis and implementation

Health science students from Furtwangen asked young people between the ages of 19 and 29 a variety of questions and analyzed them statistically, e.g. What will the kitchen of tomorrow look like? Is our eating behavior changing? What factors are causing changes? If you want to discover them, you have to ask people's thoughts, their wishes, their memories and their reality.
There is not THE kitchen of tomorrow, but many different ones - depending on the individual, current life situation. The results of the survey were analyzed together with students from the Wismar University of Applied Sciences in the fields of design and layout. The result was a classification into four different types of cook and the development of kitchen ideas to match.

ORGANIC COOKS

Friendship and family are more important than status and stress. Cooking and the kitchen are something special. Organic cooks value quality and aesthetics. Why not bake your own bread? The fresh vegetables come from organic farmers in the region. The motto: Better less, but fresh and healthy.

CASUAL COOKS

You don't stick to meal times, instead the activity - be it professional or private - comes first. They eat when it suits them - rarely at home. The casual cook doesn't necessarily need their own kitchen. And if they do, it has to be flexible. Casual cooks prefer a butler. It's far more convenient if the snack is served elegantly from an armchair.

CLEVER COOKERS

They can organize, they have an overview and think in a structured way. A household is a business that requires clever management. The processes of purchasing, preparation and consumption must be coordinated. This requires a kitchen with short distances, with a perfect arrangement of appliances, with individual equipment that takes into account the eating and cooking habits of the users, such as a muesli dispenser for a balanced breakfast.

ENJOYABLE COOKING

Cooking is brilliant, it's a break from the daily grind. Being able to enjoy is a gift. The freshness and quality of the products are the be-all and end-all of fine cuisine, the authenticity of the material a must, the feel of fine wood an inspiration. Gourmet chefs are individual, are perfectionists, are technology freaks, are in love with design and like to be looked over the shoulder.