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Why do hotel or restaurant commercial kitchens need specialized design?

Hotel commercial kitchen design and project engineering solution

Hotel and restaurant commercial kitchen design technology has emerged, developed rapidly, and continuously improved alongside the development of stainless steel kitchen equipment. Kitchen designers, based on the planning and design requirements of restaurant managers, conduct overall planning for commercial kitchens, completing the design of kitchen layout, equipment arrangement, water and electricity systems, ventilation and exhaust systems, and other supporting facilities.

The design process for a commercial kitchen requires coordination among personnel from three different sectors: kitchen management, architectural design, and kitchen construction. This involves integrating knowledge from these three industries. In this process, kitchen managers are unfamiliar with architectural and kitchen design techniques; architectural designers are unfamiliar with kitchen management and equipment technology; and kitchen designers, by taking the technical requirements of the kitchen managers, rationally divide the kitchen area, configure kitchen equipment, and create visual layout diagrams of the kitchen equipment, as well as design drawings for the water, electricity, and ventilation systems.

The key technical work in commercial kitchen design:

The main technical work in commercial kitchen design can be divided into two categories: kitchen design and technical coordination. Kitchen design translates the decision-maker’s intentions into a floor plan that is understandable to all relevant parties. Kitchen designers are responsible for kitchen operational planning, layout design, and the integration of supporting systems. In completing and implementing the kitchen design, designers need to engage in multiple rounds of technical coordination with the decision-maker, architectural design department, construction unit, and equipment manufacturer, acting as a bridge between them.

The hotel & restaurant kitchen design work:

Due to the unique professional requirements and complexity involving multiple disciplines, kitchen planning and design requires repeated deliberation and consultation among various stakeholders; it is not a task that can be completed in one step. Understanding this process is crucial for coordination and cooperation between kitchen designers, kitchen managers, architectural designers, and design and construction personnel from other systems.

1.Improve hotel & restaurant kitchen design requirements.

Kitchen planning and design serve the operational plans of the catering industry. Based on the operational plan’s specifications, standards, cuisine, number of seats, and service items, the kitchen planning and design work is completed. In most cases, kitchen designers, faced with general kitchen design requirements, need to refine the design by consulting and researching technical materials.Hotel commercial kitchen design and project engineering solution

2.Kitchen layout design preparation.

Kitchen designers conduct on-site measurements and draw up a kitchen floor plan, or obtain an electronic version of the kitchen floor plan, analyze the drawings, and then conduct on-site measurements and surveys of the kitchen. They inspect the surrounding environment of the kitchen to confirm the design and installation direction and location of the smoke extraction equipment. They verify the feasibility of the kitchen’s technical requirements, such as the size of the kitchen area, the types and quantities of kitchen equipment, and whether the infrastructure such as water, electricity, energy, ventilation, and structural space meets the planning requirements, and propose negotiation requests.

What is commercial kitchen equipment engineering

3.Hotel & restaurant Kitchen layout design.

Based on the technical requirements of the kitchen design and the on-site survey records, we carried out kitchen layout and equipment layout design, completing specific designs such as kitchen workflow, flow, passageway entrances and exits, work area division, equipment layout, and equipment selection. After repeated technical coordination, we completed the kitchen design drawings and scheme description, and obtained the confirmation of the kitchen decision-maker.

4.Supporting system design.

Based on the kitchen layout and equipment layout design, we will design various specialized supporting systems for the kitchen, including water supply and drainage, power supply, and smoke extraction. Because kitchen supporting system design differs from general design and has specific technical requirements, all supporting systems must be integrated and compatible with the equipment layout design. Simultaneously, we also need to coordinate the technical aspects of the supporting system design with those of air conditioning, fire protection, and interior decoration.

5.The kitchen design coordination work.

Because kitchen designers act as a bridge connecting and coordinating the design process, a significant portion of their work involves technical coordination, in addition to the basic design tasks. Technical coordination utilizes various technical means to communicate, convey, and explain technical intentions. This primarily involves coordination with the client, the design department, and the construction company, and generally falls into three stages.

5.1 Coordination process with the kitchen design client.

The first step is to communicate with the kitchen decision-maker to clarify the kitchen design requirements, refine the design based on their technical requirements, and propose a preliminary design plan. In essence, this involves re-clarifying the kitchen design requirements and reaching a consensus before starting the design process.

Problems may arise during the design process, requiring communication and coordination between both parties. For example, if issues such as insufficient cross-sectional area of ​​the exhaust duct or inadequate power load are discovered, the reasons need to be explained, solutions discussed, and a consensus reached before continuing the design.

Once the initial design draft is completed, it needs to be reviewed and approved by the kitchen decision-maker. If modifications are requested or the original design requirements are changed, the layout plan will need to be revised or redrawn.Hotel commercial kitchen design and project engineering solution

5.2 Coordination process with the design department.

The design department has a clear division of labor, and kitchen designers must work with designers from multiple disciplines. These mainly include plumbing, electrical, and ventilation systems, and sometimes they also need to coordinate with structural, fire protection, and interior design professionals.

First, provide the design department with complete kitchen layout drawings and related technical data, including electricity meters for equipment, smoke exhaust calculation sheets, steam equipment consumption meters, and gas equipment gas consumption meters.
Kitchen designers should develop written technical requirements based on issues identified on-site and in the drawings. These requirements may include details such as fan mounting bases, electrical installations, roof load, and the locations of plumbing, electrical, steam, and gas connection points. In short, all technical aspects related to construction processes must be clearly stated and fully implemented on the drawings by the design department to facilitate technical handover and quality acceptance. The main focus is on clarifying design details and requirements, and resolving any inconsistencies in the design.
Once the design plan is finalized, a kitchen equipment contract should be signed, and orders should be placed with the equipment manufacturer. Because many unforeseen events can occur during design and construction, oversights, construction errors, and changes to the plan can all affect the original kitchen design. Therefore, it is necessary to remeasure the kitchen after construction to adjust the quantity and dimensions of the equipment and ensure its installation.

Restaurant kitchen equipment industry trend & analyse China 2024

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