4.1.4. Kitchen

Alexander, in 1981, elaborated on the cooking space, where occupants of the household prepare their food and defined it as a kitchen. Today, this place is more prominent and complicated in the domestic setting, where different household activities occur, such as food preparation, cooking, storing and garbage. The author identified that easy accessibility, convenient location, circulation and connection with other spaces within the domestic environment are the most significant factors to consider in a kitchen's functionality [34]. The kitchen is one of the homeliest places, where family members do activities together. It is the place where occupants spend most of their time cooking a meal or getting something. The kitchen is a space where occupants feel comfort, mostly because they enjoy cooking after coming home from outside work or activities [44]. Several studies identified that the kitchen promotes positive interaction and inspires healthy eating among family members. Food preparation can serve as a mediator of social activity and sufficient cooking space facilities improve positive collaboration between the occupants [56].

According to Altas and Özsoy, the kitchen's location in the domestic setting added value to occupants' satisfaction with their living environment [36]. Walters mentioned that an open kitchen (e.g., no wall or door between the kitchen and living-dining spaces) stimulates positive feelings and facilitates family activities and encourages family members to spend more time together [41]. Usually, a kitchen mainly consists of two functional spaces, such as the pantry and central food preparation zone. According to Graham et al., spatial organisation and abundance are the prominent factors in creating psychological ambiance for a pantry. In contrast, spatial organisation, family togetherness, productivity and richness are the most essential and frequent psychological aspects for the central kitchen zone [9].

Pleasant lighting is also essential for safety and creating an enjoyable environment in the kitchen, as well as a view from the windows, which is vital to the occupants' feeling of comfort. Studies also showed that suitable daylight levels in kitchen interiors connect occupants' moods and behavior during cooking activities [59]. There is a close connection between the kitchen and dining space, where color can influence the occupant's feelings. Preferably, light colors in the kitchen prevent risk during food preparation. Clean paint can also stimulate passion during food-processing and eating. Cool colors create a hygienic appearance and warm colors evoke a positive mood when applied to the kitchen walls or cabinet [45]. In 2011, Cho et al. emphasised the importance of a proper ventilation system in the kitchen [60]. Without adequate ventilation (opening windows or using extractor fans), pollution, dampness, mold and fungi growth can be seen, which may create structural defects and have respiratory effects on children [61,62]. This may also impact the behavior

of the occupants [63]. Therefore, proper ergonomics, as well as enough maintenance and waste managemen<sup>t</sup> facilities, can prevent this problematic scenario [41,64,65]. The overall relationship is illustrated in Figure 7.

**Figure 7.** Relationship between spatial and environmental factors of domestic kitchen. (Illustration: Author, based on the literature).
