Cooking is obviously much more than a necessity; we can say it is a way to show love and affection for family and friends. There is something emotional about our relationship with food, and certain dishes and aromas have the power to take us back to the past and relive distant memories created in our grandparents' kitchens.

Throughout the history of mankind, the kitchen has evolved according to the economic and technological evolution of each era, but also adjusting to the lifestyle and behaviour of each community.

The first record of a domestic space dedicated exclusively to the preparation of food was found in Ancient Egypt, and this space was considered of extreme importance in Egyptian Culture. In contrast, the Roman civilization used community kitchens to cook their meals.

The modern kitchen concept appeared in the 20th Century in 1922 in the United States of America, when Christine Fredericks Mary Pattison conducted a study focusing on the relationship between circulation and task-making, highlighting the importance of the layout of a kitchen which she considered fundamental for time optimization and effectiveness of the accomplishment of the tasks.

In 1929 Ernst May, a German architect decided to rethink the way he designed kitchens in the past, for his newly commissioned buildings, taking into consideration all existing functional and efficiency studies. For this job he hires instructs Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, the first woman to graduate in architecture in Austria, who designs the new kitchen according to the principles of efficiency and economy, adjusted to a middle-class lifestyle, and the "Frankfurt Kitchen" is created, based on a detailed study carried out by Margarete, of all the necessary movements to perform the household tasks.

What about today? How to think and design a space of such relevance to the family dynamics, a space that is not only destined for the preparation of food but also to perform other tasks linked to domesticity?

We had a chat with our creative director Architect Tiago Patrício Rodrigues to learn more about the process of designing a contemporary kitchen and what are the most relevant factors to take into consideration when creating the concept for the space.

What is the starting point when designing a kitchen?

The first step is to meet with our clients and understand how they use the space and what their goals are.  Only then do we start from the binomial functionality/space, which means maximizing function and functionality associated with the different forms of use, based on the architectural and emotional space, which are ultimately responsible for the visual characteristics of the kitchen. It is not all about measurements.

With regard to functionality, what elements should we take into consideration?

For me, it is the simplicity of use. Functionality should be intuitive, and not a panoply of "gadgets" that are not always practical and accessible.

Are decorative elements, the solution to bring character to the space and reflect the personality of the family lifestyle?

Yes, those elements are fundamental, because a kitchen can integrate several functions, more or less important, and every person using the space will have a different way of performing a task. And that should be reflected in the draft. Then, on the other hand, we must not forget the architectural and spatial surroundings, they will be fundamental when choosing materials and aesthetics, for example.

What solutions do you use to maximize a small space?

The maximization of space is not obtained by the amount of storage space, contrary to what may seem obvious, but from the organization of the space must correspond to the creation of a “task chain”, similar to a factory assembly line, like in the study mentioned above.