What will the circular kitchen of the future look like? Quite similar to today's kitchens, it turns out, but with more sustainable materials and new and improved possibilities to assemble, disassemble, replace or reuse the different parts in a simple way without damaging the material.
At first glance, it looks like a fairly ordinary, if sleek and modern-looking, kitchen. But beneath the shiny surfaces of the kitchen installed at HDK's Steneby site lie clever features to maximise reusability and thus minimise the risk of the kitchen as a whole being ripped out and thrown away.
– e want to get away from the situation where entire functioning kitchens are thrown away, and through increased flexibility, the goal is to reduce waste in production as well as installation and facilitate reuse. The goal is also to create opportunities for residents to be able to change the kitchen in line with changing needs over time," says Paula Femenias, Professor and Leader of Research Area Architecture, Building & Society.
The kitchen is a prototype and the result of several years of research to develop a modular circular kitchen that balances the requirements of cost, environmental impact and sustainability. The kitchen system will typically be used in rental properties where there is a need to adapt and replace parts of the kitchen equipment when worn or in need of repair. In previous studies, researchers have also identified that one reason why many kitchens are replaced or rebuilt is to provide a different function, such as more worktop space, to facilitate social interaction or to accommodate new appliances of a different size to the original ones. The various components of the prototype kitchen can therefore be easily dismantled without damaging the materials or surfaces.
- The idea is to extend the life of the kitchen by making it possible to replace or repair individual parts, rebuild it or, if necessary, dismantle the whole kitchen and rebuild it elsewhere. That's why we have worked on a flexible solution that enables this to a greater extent than the kitchen systems available on the market today," says Paula Femenias.
The current prototype has had two predecessors and has been improved to be scaled up for production in the near future, and the strengths of the modular system developed include:
- Standardised components to reduce the number of custom components and dimensions.
- A new type of particleboard made from 88% recycled wood, resulting in a significantly lower carbon footprint and reducing the need for virgin wood.
- A new type of flexible coupling for easy assembly and disassembly, which also allows the parts to be transported in flat packs and assembled on site with simple tools. The flexible couplings allow for repairs and replacements of broken parts and facilitate disassembly, making it possible to reuse the stove elsewhere, or with the support of an exchange system - return parts to the manufacturer.
- Information in QR codes embedded in the parts, including material composition and year of manufacture.
- Based on previous research in the project, a cabinet depth of 70 cm is introduced to increase comfort and improve the workspace.
The kitchen prototype has been developed in co-operation with the Nobia Group. The research studies that formed the basis for the prototype have been funded by Formas and VGR (Västra Götaland Regionen).
About the research studies:
Contact:
- Head of Division, Building Design, Architecture and Civil Engineering
- Professor, Architectural Theory and Method, Architecture and Civil Engineering