IMPACT OF OPEN VS CLOSED KITCHEN DESIGN ON SOCIAL DYNAMICS IN RESIDENTIAL SPACES (A STUDY OF 10 MARLA HOUSES IN LDA, LAHORE)

Abstract

The Purpose of this study is to examine the social, spatial and functional dynamics involved in designing the open and closed kitchens among residential space in Pakistan

Kitchen has moved beyond its functional status and has become an essential part of the house which decides the dynamics of family relationship, privacy, and accommodation. Considering the increasing popularity of modern domestic architecture in Pakistan, the issue of designing open or closed kitchens has become quite significant and needs to be addressed from both the architectural and sociocultural perspectives. But as more and more open houses are being built in Pakistan, not much work has been done regarding the suitability of such kitchen design keeping in mind the traditions and needs of local lifestyle.

In this research, a mixed-method approach was chosen, which entailed combining the quantitative results of surveys with qualitative results of the semi-structured interviews of 10-Marla houses' inhabitants conducted in Central Park Housing Society in Lahore. The results of the current study revealed the presence of the socio-spatial paradox since the majority of interviewees are currently residing in houses with open kitchens while their future preferences are equally divided between open and closed kitchens. The presence of open kitchens provided family members with the opportunity to communicate with one another, increased visibility and daylighting, as well as allowed for multitasking; however, the lack of privacy, the smell of food preparation, grease, noise pollution, and visual mess made such open kitchens less desirable.

The presence of closed kitchens provided inhabitants with a higher level of privacy, containment of cooking by-products, and a clean space when having guests. Hence, it can be concluded that neither open nor closed kitchens are enough individually to provide contemporary Pakistani residence with the necessary conditions. Hybrid kitchen designs are the best choice for future architecture in Pakistan.