Innovation in design can be as simple as revamping an accepted concept. Take the kitchen, for example. Other than a few tweaks, usually due to space and product, kitchen design is rarely seen as a new frontier for innovation.
However, a new kitchen has been designed specifically for people in wheelchairs, changing the layout for simple but stylish convenience. Made by the Italian manufacturer Snaidreo, the Skyline Lab kitchen doesn’t sacrifice form for supreme function.
The design not only had to take into consideration that the user could not reach high cabinets (some of us can’t do that anyway) but also that very low or very deep drawers don’t necessarily work either.
In this kitchen, there are no cabinets underneath the sweeping counter so that the wheels have room to go underneath– making it easier to get close to the counter. The sink basin is shallow to leave plenty of leg-room.
Under the oven is a pull-out shelf so that the user can pull something out of the oven and quickly set it down while they change directions to bring it somewhere else. The dishwasher is also pull-out drawer, which is more common in kitchen design these days, since they can blend in better with the over-all design.
Circular shelving is there so that all the contents of the cabinets can be rotated for easy-access, and they are left open so it’s easy to see where everything is.
And last but not least, the garbage can is on wheels, and there is a roll-out shelf unit that can be also be easily moved out of the way.
Too see all of the features and understand the concepts behind the design, see this nifty demonstration video helps to understand the concepts behind the design:
[Core 77]
Images: Snaidero
