Among the non-Asian countries, it is observed that living spaces are increasingly being designed without a dedicated space for dining area nor a complete layout for a working kitchen. This reflects the changing lifestyle and cultural habits of individuals and families where dining is considered to be an activity that is prerogatively done at any time and at any place or even extracted from the home to resort to dine-out alternatives.
Preserved Family Practices
However, it is interesting to note that Filipino clients maintain a different taste from this. There is actually a particular eye for the dining and kitchen areas as what we experienced in dealings with a considerable number of clients. A number of them specified how these areas are expected to function in order to cater to their families’ particular activities and habits.
We had one client who considered their kitchen to be the busiest place in the house. It was specified to be located proximate to the main entrance in order to readily welcome the family members who will be arriving from school or work. Nevertheless, this space remains to be discreetly situated away from view of guests and non-family members. In doing so, we still have to maintain its proximity to the stairway for convenience of access from the other parts of the house especially the bedrooms.
More than the living room, the kitchen and dining areas are considered in actual practice to be the two best settings for interaction and get-togethers. Kitchens are being designed to be functionable and even sociable instead of intending it to be a mere showcase. It is also being designed to be child-friendly in order to encourage participation of children in the work in the home. Its proximity to the dining area is a logical consequence of the expectation that the meal served to the families is an output of a dynamic kitchen activity rather than merely provided by catering establishments.
Behavioral Influence
The dining areas play a particular humanizing role in the home. Recent studies have supported the theory towards children brought up with the habit of frequently taking meals with the family, especially with their parents. They were observed and found out to have higher capacity to perform well in school, confident, emotionally stable and with a greater promise of being fulfilled professionally. Though there are flourishing hotel and restaurant businesses both in terms of architectural-interior design and culinary expertise, these structures cannot replace the familial ambiance, the special cuisine taste and the warmth of family conversations while dining right at your very home.
You can once again consider looking over at the status of your dining and kitchen areas at home. Is it fostering a family spirit? Does the layout and equipment available enable you to efficiently perform and to professionalize your work in the home? How can you reflect your personal style in decorating these spaces that will make your house a place that your family would look forward to going home to?
When it comes to these details, we architects can only do as much. The heart of the matter will depend on you.
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