Ergonomics, a LivingKitchen trend

The keyword is ergonomics. Derived from the Greek words ergon, meaning work, and nomoi, meaning natural laws, it is the science of designing things to take proper account of the interaction between products, systems or processes and the people who use them. Whilst the definition might sound a little dry, it is a discipline dedicated to people’s wellbeing –because its ultimate goal is to optimise working conditions. Anyone who enjoys cooking knows only too well that kitchen activities can really take it out of you. If the worktop is too low, even a minor task like chopping onions is certain to be followed by backache.

Sachsenküchen presented the ERmatic system it developed in collaboration with Danish firm LINAK back in 2013 –and promptly won the Plus X Award for it. Whilst the height-adjustable island solution is particularly suitable for bigger kitchens, the height-adjustable wall units are ideal for smaller rooms. A lift table is also available. What all the products have in common is an integrated control panel that can even be used to preset three different heights.

Together with Darmstadt University of Technology (TU Darmstadt), LINAK has recently published a study on Ergonomics in the Height-Adjustable Kitchen.According to Christian Renner of LINAK, Height-adjustable kitchens are something people get really enthusiastic about. 25 percent of respondents were already familiar with the principle, and no fewer than 76 percent would like to buy this type of kitchen. The study identified two major benefits. Firstly, people of different heights could work comfortably in the same kitchen. Secondly, whilst different activities such as chopping, washing or stirring called for different worktop heights, all kitchen tasks could be performed in an optimal ergonomic position with an adjustment range of just 10 centimetres.

Ballerina Küchen is also addressing this trend in its new collection: the Comfort Kitchen features everything that makes cooking more pleasant, including a Liftboy that ensures optimal accessibility. The sink unit is slanted, thus allowing it to be used in a sitting position too. And it goes without saying that this kitchen includes a height-adjustable worktop as well – featuring Kesseböhmer‘s ergoAGENT base technology. Depending on the carcass height of the base units, the height of the work surface can be adjusted to anywhere between approx. 920 and 1120 mm.

With these models, Ballerina and Sachsenküchen – both of whom will be exhibiting at LivingKitchen 2015 (19-25 January) –are making headway in a growth market. Right now, around 38 percent of Germany’s population is over the age of 50. Demographers expect that figure to increase to 50 percent in the next few years –a development that looks set to affect the whole of Europe to some extent. As we get older, abilities like sight, touch, hearing and mobility decline. The ergonomic concepts behind these kitchen systems are a response to that –without compromising on design. The same is true of the k7 model by TEAM 7: its blend of innovation and aesthetics adds up to a genuine dream kitchen. The centrepiece is a cooking island with a height-adjustable worktop. It can be adjusted to any height between 74 and 114 centimetres –which has other advantages besides being good for your back: raising the worktop up to its full height effectively transforms the counter into a bar. The perfect place to enjoy a digestif after a dinner that was hopefully painless to prepare.

* For further information: www.livingkitchen-cologne.com