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Designing a Sustainable Kitchen

December 11, 2023

Mrinmoy Dey

Kitchen is the one of the major contributors as far as the usage of water and electricity is concerned. While bathrooms use the most water in a typical home, kitchens use the most energy. In that context, a sustainable approach in designing the kitchen would go a long way in saving these precious resources as well as saving the mullah in the bargain!


So what is a sustainable design? Sustainable kitchen design, as most people think of it, primarily concerns two most important factors minimising the usage of water and energy without compromising on the functionality of the kitchen space! It naturally involves the selection of appropriate appliances (water-saving dishwashers, energy-efficient refrigerators) and the materials that go into making the Kitchen. In short, Sustainable design is about using less to get more.

The enhanced awareness about conserving, or rather not wasting, water is on the rise and consumers are gradually shifting towards making the smart choice. Photo Courtesy: Grohe

Sustainable Product Design


In India, however, the concept of sustainable or green products – be it in the bathroom or the kitchen space has largely been driven by manufacturers. What has prevented wide-scale acceptance is probably the misconception that green products cost more. Thus, while the commercial and hospitality sectors have shown keen interest in moving towards sustainable solutions, the residential segment is still caught in a loop.


More interestingly, till 2010 India did not have any standard benchmark to rate water-efficient appliances. In 2011, the International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) and the Indian Plumbing Association (IPA) jointly introduced the ‘Uniform Plumbing Code–India’ (UPC–1) as well as the water efficiency rating specification ‘Water Efficient Products India’ (WEP–1).

This development has encouraged manufacturers to promote green products, and in fact, helped them segregate their products with star ratings.

Designing a sustainable kitchen, which is an intrinsic part of the green building set-up, will go a long way in conserving natural resources.

Avenir Light is a clean and stylish font favored by designers. It's easy on the eyes and a great go to font for titles, paragraphs & more. Avenir Light is a clean and stylish font favored by designers. It's easy on the eyes and a great go to font for titles, paragraphs & more. 

Sustainable Kitchen Design Approach:


The moot idea here is to reduce the amount of energy and water used. Let’s look at some strategies to help reduce energy and water consumption in the kitchen space.


Daylighting: While using energy-efficient LED lighting will help minimise energy usage, for a better result, it is always good to design it in a way to allow more natural light (wherever possible!) and thus reduces the need for artificial lighting at least during the daytime.


Akkisetti Ramprasad, Managing Director of Pune-based design firm CCBA Designs Pvt Ltd says, “The first and foremost things when it comes designing a, design it in such a manner that there should be more natural light. Ventilation and lighting should be the primary aspect while designing a kitchen. So, harnessing daylight and natural ventilation will reduce energy consumption significantly.”


Enlarged and efficient windows and doors, skylights and reflective surfaces help minimise the need for electrical lighting during the day, maintain desired indoor temperature, provide for desired ventilation, and with all that minimise operating expenses. In addition, daylighting enhances the psychological well-being and productivity of indoor occupants.


Further, if the house is using some sort of home automation or at least automation of lighting the savings can be increased. Motion sensor and auto-adjusting lights which adjusts brightness according to the level of lighting available would go a long way in optimising electricity usage.

What makes a kitchen sustainable?

Late Dr Prem C Jain, the then Chairman, IGBC explained the nitty gritty of designing a sustainable kitchen


What are the key things an architect/ interior designer should consider while designing a sustainable kitchen?

Essentially, an architect/ interior designer will have to emphasize their overall design by focusing on fresh air ventilation, mechanical exhaust over cooking areas, glazing/lighting, water efficient fixtures, grease traps for wastewater and recycling treated wastewater for horticulture.


What are the aspects of a kitchen that can fetch IGBC Green points?

  • Ensure that the kitchen is adequately ventilated, so as to improve the quality of the indoor environment 

  • Ensure connectivity between the interior and the exterior environment, by providing adequate openings 

  • Provision of efficient Lo-Flow water fixtures 

  • Use of star-rated appliances (Refrigerator, Oven and other appliances) 

  • Use of FSC-certified wood in cabinets 

  • Use of wood with higher recycled content 

  • Low VOC paint 

  • Efficient lighting fixtures 

  • Flooring material with higher recycled content

Rethinking Appliances: Appliances are the main reason behind high energy usage in the kitchen. Carefully selecting energy-efficient ones would help in saving energy bills and increase the sustainability quotient of the project. A slightly higher price may sway the client from such appliances but it is up to the designers to educate them and highlight the benefits. The initial price of high-efficiency appliances might be higher than that of less efficient equipment but this will be offset by future savings. The designers need to get these calculations from the appliance companies, compare them, and make sure to include them in the design-sale presentation. This can also help the designer create a differentiation or USP for themselves!


Fridge: One of the most energy-hungry appliances which run non-stop is the fridge. So, it is prudent to be critical of their size and special offerings (eg, ice makers are major home energy vampires). Bigger, with more gadgets, is not necessarily better! In fact, big fridges are to blame for most food waste, simply because they are often ‘lost’, hidden and forgotten behind other stuff. Besides, designing with a smaller fridge will create more room for storage and a working surface in the kitchen!


Special features like water dispensers draw extra energy and should be considered if they are really a must. It is always tempting to go for those fancy features but designers need to assess the needs of the clients and educate the client about how they can save energy by doing away with rarely used features! Additionally, placing the fridge in a ventilated position and away from sources of heat will lessen the load on the fridge thus saving on energy.

Embracing Sustainability in Product Design


Embracing sustainability in product design and manufacturing yields anticipated environmental improvements, but drives greater innovation, quality improvement, energy savings, and revenue growth as well.


Essentially, sustainability in design and manufacturing has a lot to do with ‘doing better with less’ and embracing a broader view of product development. The importance of sustainable design lies in pairing it with financial benefits along with the environment and society, which will enable it to succeed.


The good news about sustainable design is that manufacturers are increasingly finding that there are key business benefits associated with ‘going green’ and offering eco-friendly products. This is a combination of market dynamics wherein the percentage of conscious consumers is on the rise and technology is rapidly evolving as well.


The enhanced awareness about conserving, or rather not wasting, water is on the rise and consumers are gradually shifting towards making the smart choice.