The Nation Kitchen & Bath Association Kitchen Planning Guidelines are categorized in the following areas:
1. a. Doorways should be at least 32" wide and not more than 24" deep in the direction of travel.
b. Walkways (passages between vertical objects greater than 24" deep in the direction of travel, where not more than one is a work counter or appliance) should be at least 36" wide.
c. Work aisles (passages between vertical objects, both of which are work counters or appliances) should be at least 42" wide in one-cook kitchens, at least 48" wide in multiple-cook kitchens.
2. The work triangle should total 26' or less, with no single leg of the triangle shorter than 4' nor longer than 9'. The work triangle should not intersect an island or peninsula by more than 12". (The triangle is the shortest walking distance between the refrigerator, primary cooking surface and primary food preparation sink, measured from the center of each appliance.
3. No major traffic patterns should cross through the work triangle.
4. No entry, appliance or cabinet doors should interfere with one another.
5. In a seating area, 36" of clearance should be allowed from the counter/table edge to any wall/obstruction behind it if no traffic will pass behind a seated diner. If there is a walkway behind the seating area, 65" of clearance, total, including the walkway, should be allowed between the seating area and any wall or obstruction.
Cabinets And Storage
6. Wall Cabinet Frontage:
Small Kitchens -- under 150 sq. ft. -- allow at least 144" of wall cabinet frontage, with cabinets at least 12" deep, and a minimum of 30" high (or equivalent) which feature adjustable shelving. Difficult to reach cabinets above the hood, oven or refrigerator do not count unless devices are installed within the case to improve accessibility.
Large Kitchens -- over 150 sq. ft. -- allow at least 186" of wall cabinet frontage, with cabinets at least 12" deep, and a minimum of 30" high (or equivalent) which feature adjustable shelving. Difficult to reach cabinets above the hood, oven or refrigerator do not count unless devices are installed within the case to improve accessibility.
7. At least 60" of wall cabinet frontage, with cabinets at least 12" deep, a minimum of 30" high (or equivalent), should be included within 72" of the primary sink centerline.
8. Base Cabinet Frontage:
At least 156 linear inches, cabinets at least 21" deep (or equivalent) in kitchens under 150 square feet. The blind portion of a blind corner box does not count
At least 192 linear inches, cabinets at least 21" deep (or equivalent) in kitchens over 150 square feet. The blind portion of a blind corner box does not count
9. Drawer/Roll-out Shelf Frontage:
At least 120 inches of drawer or roll-out shelf in kitchens under 150 square feet
At least 165 inches of drawer or roll-out shelf in kitchens over 150 square feet
Multiple cabinet width by number of drawers/roll-outs to determine frontage. Drawer/roll-out cabinets must be at least 15" wide and 21" deep to be counted.
Guideline 9 Examples:
A. A 21" wide three drawer base would count as 63" toward the drawer total.
B. A 21" wide single drawer base with one drawer and two sliding shelves would also count as 63" toward the total drawer measurement.
C. In this example, drawers flank the range.
D. Drawers can be placed close to the sink so that items used at the sink or stored near the dishwasher are close at hand.
10. At least 5 storage items, located between 15" and 48" above the finished floor (or extending into that area) should be included in the kitchen to improve functionality and accessibility. These items may include, but are not limited to: lowered wall cabinets, raised base cabinets, tall cabinets, appliance garages, bins/racks, swing-out pantries, interior vertical dividers, specialized drawers/shelves, etc. Full-extension drawers/roll-out shelves greater than the 120" minimum for small kitchens or 165" for larger kitchens, may also be included.
11. At least one functional corner storage unit should be included for a kitchen with usable corner areas in the plan.
12. At least two waste receptacles should be included in the plan; one for garbage and one for recyclables, or other recycling facilities should be planned.
Appliance Placement and Use/Clearance Space
13. Knee space (which may be open or adaptable should be planned below or adjacent to sinks, cooktops, ranges and ovens whenever possible. Knee space should be a minimum of 27" high by 30" wide by 19" deep. The 27" height at the front of the knee space may decrease progressively as depth increases.
14. A clear floor space of 30" x 48" should be provided at the sink, dishwasher, cooktop, oven and refrigerator. (Measure from face of cabinets or appliance if toe kick is less than 9" high.)
15. A minimum of 21" clear floor space should be allowed between the edge of the dishwasher and counters, appliances and/or cabinets which are placed at a right angle to the dishwasher.
16. The edge of the primary dishwasher should be within 36" of the edge of one sink.
17. If the kitchen has only one sink, it should be located between or across from the cooking surface, preparation area or refrigerator.
18. There should be at least 24" of clearance between the cooking surface and a protected surface above, or at least 30" of clearance between the cooking surface and an unprotected surface above. (If the protected surface is a microwave hood combination manufacturer's specifications may dictate a clearance less than 24".)
19. All major appliances used for surface cooking should have a ventilation system, with a fan rated at 150 CFM minimum.
20. The cooking surface should not be placed below an operable window unless the window is 3" or more behind the appliance and more than 24" above it. Windows, operable or inoperable, above a cooking surface should not be dressed with flammable window treatments.
21. Microwave ovens should be placed so that the bottom of the appliance is 24" to 48" above the floor.
Counter Surface And Landing Space
22. At least two work-counter heights should be offered in the kitchen, with one 28" - 36" above the finished floor and the other 36" - 45" above the finished floor.
23. Countertop Frontage:
At least 132 inches of usable countertop frontage in kitchens under 150 square feet
At least 198 inches of usable countertop frontage in kitchens over 150 square feet
Counters must be a minimum of 16" deep, and wall cabinets must be at least 15" above their surface for counter to be included in total frontage measurement. (Measure only countertop frontage, do not count corner space.) 24. At least 24" countertop frontage to one side of the primary sink, 18" on the other side with the 24" counter frontage at the same counter height as the sink. The countertop frontage may be a continuous surface, or the total of two angled countertop sections. (Measure only countertop frontage, don not count corner space.)
25. At least 3" counter space should be provided on one side of secondary sinks, and 18" on the other side (including corner sink applications) with the 18" counter frontage at the same counter height as the sink. The countertop frontage may be a continuous surface, or the total of two angled countertop sections. (Measure only countertop frontage, do not count corner space.
26. At least 15" of landing space, a minimum of 16" deep, should be planned above, below or adjacent to a microwave oven.
27. In an open-ended kitchen configuration, at least 9" of counter space should be allowed on one side of the cooking surface and 15" on the other, at the same counter height as the appliance. For an enclosed configuration, at least 3" of clearance space should be planned at an end wall protected by flame retardant surfacing material and 15" should be allowed on the other side of the appliance, at the same counter height as the appliance.
For safety reasons, countertop should also extend a minimum of 9" behind the cooking surface, at the same counter height as the appliance, in any instance where there is not an abutting wall/backsplash.
28. The plan should allow at least 15" of counter space on the latch side of the refrigerator or on either side of a side-by-side refrigerator or, at least 15" of landing space which is no more than 48" across from the refrigerator. (Measure the 48" distance from the center front of the refrigerator to the countertop opposite it.)
29. There should be at least 15" of landing space which is at least 16" deep next to or above the oven if the appliance door opens into a primary traffic pattern. At least 15" x 16" of landing space which is no more than 48" across from the oven is acceptable if the appliance does not open into a traffic area. (Measure the 48" distance from the center front of the oven to the countertop opposite it.)
30. At least 36" continuous countertop which is at least 16" deep should be planned for the preparation center. The center should be immediately adjacent to a water source.
31. If two work centers are adjacent to one another, determine a new minimum counter frontage requirement for the two adjoining spaces by taking the longest required counter length and adding 12"
32. No two primary work centers (primary sink, refrigerator, prep or cooktop/range centers) should be separated by a full-height, full-depth tall tower, such as an oven cabinet, pantry cabinet or refrigerator.
33. Kitchen seating areas require the following minimum clearances:
30" high tables/counters -- allow a 30" wide x 19" deep counter/table space for each seated diner, and at least 19" of clear knee space
36" high counters -- allow a 24" wide x 15" deep counter/table space for each seated diner, and at least 15" of clear knee space
42" high counters -- allow a 24" wide x 12" deep counter/table space for each seated diner, and at least 12" of clear knee space.
34. (Open) countertop corners should be clipped or radiused; counter edges should be eased to eliminate sharp corner.
Room, Appliance and Equipment Controls
35. Controls, handles and door/drawer pulls should be operable with one hand, require only a minimal amount of strength for operation, and should not require tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist. (Includes handles/knobs/pulls on entry and exit doors, appliances, cabinets, drawers and plumbing fixtures, light and thermostat controls.switches, intercoms and other room controls.)
36. Wall-mounted room controls (i.e. wall receptacles, switches, thermostats, telephones, etc.) should be 15" to 48" above the finished floor. The switch plate can extend beyond that dimension, but not the control.
37. Ground fault circuit interrupters should be specified on all receptacles within the kitchen.
38. A fire extinguisher should be visibly located in the kitchen, away from cooking equipment and 15" to 48" above th floor. Smoke alarms should be included near the kitchen.
39. Window/skylight area should equal at least 10% of the total square footage of the separate kitchen, or total living space which includes a kitchen.
40. Every work surface in the kitchen should be well-illuminated by appropriate task and/or general lighting.
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