Research and Development
Kitchen Module Design
Solution:
A modular kitchen that is well designed and constructed, use of good quality materials and health hardware.
HLPs Targeted:
This R&D project focuses on Healthy Living Practice 4 – Improving nutrition, the ability to store prepare and cook food
In remote communities, choosing a healthy diet is complicated by factors such as low incomes, the cost of food, local store management practices and the ability to store, prepare and cook food at home.
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Age Groups Affected:
This project effects the living environment of all age groups.
Project Details Improving inside and outside living
- Introduction
- The Problem
- The Solution
- Trial projects
- Where to next?
- From Housing for Health - the Guide
Introduction
Housing for Health survey data shows that only about five per cent of houses have all the health hardware needed to perform the fundamental healthy living practice- Improving Nutrition- the ability to store, prepare and cook food.
Most kitchen areas in surveyed houses showed poor design and construction, use of poor quality materials and health hardware, and a lack of maintenance.
The Problem
Most kitchen areas in surveyed houses showed poor design and construction, use of poor quality materials and health hardware, and a lack of maintenance. The poorest performing items in the house were:
- the kitchen bench material
- the splash back behind the kitchen sink
- a lack of high level storage out of the reach of children and animals
- the performance of all parts of the stove and oven
- the performance of refrigerators and freezers, if they were available. (NIHG)
The Solution
The design and construction of a prefabricated kitchen module unit has been developed. The kitchen unit could be used for the refurbishment of existing houses or form part of the construction of new houses. The size of the prefabricated slab is identical to that used for the prefabricated wet area module developed as part of another Research & Development Product. The fitout of the kitchen adopted the components of the DesignLab ‘Improving Nutrition, kitchen design.
Trial projects
A prototype of this kitchen unit was been fabricated in Darwin (Murray River North) and has been transported to Groote Eylandt waiting installation under the SIHIP refurbishment program in Angurugu.
Transportation by truck or barge is possible given the unit size and weight. Off loading and manipulation on site does not require a crane and hence reducing site
costs. These factors have been a key part of the design process to ensure high quality, robustness and the lowest possible cost.
The kitchen unit can be also included as a functional area together with other wet areas and be integrated into a single module. See also PRE-FAB SHOWER, LAUNDRY & TOILET BLOCK
Where to next?
Contact Healthabitat for more information on this Product
From Housing for Health - the Guide
B4 Improving nutrition – the ability to store, prepare and cook food
Indigenous people have high rates of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and renal disease. The primary determinants of these conditions are poor diet and lack of exercise. Poor nutrition is also a critical determinant of infectious diseases in children. In remote locations, changing to a healthy diet is complicated by factors such as low household income, high cost of food, local store management practices, and the ability to store, prepare and cook food at home.
