Principles of Design

Report of:
Ariane Deang
Joel Pangilinan

Sir Victor Caylao Jr.

Instructor-in-charge
IMPACT OF DESIGN ON EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY
Labor costs and food costs consume between 60 percent and 80 percent of the income
of most food operations, and the control of these two costs determines the difference
between profit and loss.

Designing a food facility to achieve maximum labor productivity requires the

collaboration of the foodservice consultant, the owner (operator), and the architect.

A good design incorporates certain principles. These principles can be applied to any
food operation with the ultimate goal of satisfying the customer and achieving a
profit. If the food operation is designed with the needs of the guests and employees as
a major consideration, then high food quality, good sanitation, the smooth flow of
materials and people, and good supervision will follow. Poor standards of design yield
cross-traffic patterns for guests and employees, backtracking that results in wasted
effort, difficult-to-clean surfaces, and poorly thought out work and dining spaces.
Employee safety is likely to be compromised in poorly conceived designs, bringing the
risk of higher insurance costs and exposure to litigation.
BASIC DESIGN
Design encompasses the entire facility. Layout involves a consideration
PRINCIPLES
of each small unit or work space in a foodservice facility.

Each design professional has a set of guidelines that he or she has

found helpful in approaching the design of a food facility.

Efficient design should:

•Consider hazard analysis and critical control point
•Be flexible and modular
•Enhance the customer’s experience
•Show simplicity
•Create an efficient flow of materials and personnel
•Facilitate ease and sanitation and promote food safety
•Create ease of supervision
•Use space efficiently
HAZARD ANALYSIS AND CRITICAL
CONTROL POINT

HACCP is the process by which food temperatures are monitored and corrected in a
foodservice facility. This process includes the entire system from receiving through
waste removal. There are seven basic principles of HACCP:

 Analyze hazards
Identify critical control points
Establish preventive measures with critical limits for each control point
Establish procedures to monitor the critical control points
Establish corrective actions to be taken when monitoring shows that a critical
limit has not been met
Establish procedures to verify that the system is working properly
Establish effective record keeping to document the HACCP system
FLEXIBILITY AND MODULARITY
Menus change to respond to changes in consumers tastes and
preferences.

The principle of flexibility requires components that can be

rearranged to meet changing conditions, such as new management,
different methods of service, a new menu, or a new preparation
method. Designing for change is the primary means of achieving
flexibility.

Modularity in design provides standardized sizes and functions of

space and equipment.

In future years, If a piece of equipment needs to be replaced, the

modular unit can be removed without disturbing other pieces of
equipments,
SIMPLICITY
The principle of simplicity can be incorporated into the
design of foodservice components and systems in various
ways. Several examples of simplicity are:

Clean, uncluttered lines for range sections

Simplifying and reducing the number of menu items in
order to simplify the kitchen and allow for greater
consistency and quality of food items being prepared
The elimination of utility connections that penetrate the
floor (rather than the wall behind the equipment), creating
dirt pockets and clutter
The selection of a piece of equipment without unnecessary
accessories
Convenient server stations near the serving area in the
dining room
The arrangement of tables in the dining room to create
natural and comfortable aisle space for servers and guests
 FLOW OF MATERIALS AND PERSONNEL
The movement of food through a foodservice facility should follow a logical
sequence beginning with receiving and ending with waste disposal.

Back Dock

Receiving Waste Disposal

Dry storage Cold storage Warehouse

Preparation

Final Preparation Service Dining

Flow is an important consideration in efficient
design throughout a foodservice facility. Some flow
considerations in design are:
The movement of employees from one section of
the kitchen to another
The flow of dishes through the dishwashing
system and back to the service area
In a restaurant, the flow of customers from the
entrance to the cocktail lounge and/or to the main
dining room
In a cafeteria, the flow of customers from the
entrance through the service cafeteria to dining
and then the dish drop-off point
The flow of raw food ingredients through the
main traffic aisles of the kitchen to the preparation
area
The flow of all materials or minimize cross traffic
EASE OF SANITATION
In virtually every type of foodservice facility, more employee labor hours are spent
cleaning than are spent preparing the food. A facility designed with sanitation in mind can
be cleaned more quickly and easily and thus requires fewer labor hours for this aspect of
the operation. Some examples of sanitation design consideration:

Building finishes that are durable and easy-to-clean. Structural glazed tile on the walls
is the most desirable building finish because of ease of cleaning and resistance to damage.
Ceramic tile is easy to clean and can be purchased in colorful patterns that make the
kitchen a pleasant place to work. Epoxy paint on cement block is the least expensive wall
finish but will turn brown around areas that are exposed to high heat. The painted surface
is also easily chipped by rolling equipment. The use of bright colors in the kitchen will
improve the general appearance of the space and encourage cleanliness. Quarry tile is the
standard floor finish for the industry because it does not wear is grease-resistant, and is
less slippery than the other floors when wet.
Equipment racks with a minimum number of legs
Garbage disposals in work areas to facilitate waste disposal
Shelf storage design. Portable storage shelving systems and open shelving under tables
can be cleaned easily.
EASE OF SUPERVISION
The separation of production areas by
floor level not only violates the case of
supervision principle by increasing the
amount of supervision needed but also
creates cumbersome flow patterns
between the floors. The designer should
avoid separating the production areas by
floor whenever possible.
SPACE EFFICIENCY
Providing these components help ensure that each section of the
kitchen has the necessary equipment and storage space to enable
employees to work efficiently:

A work surface
A food prep sink
A hand wash sink (must be separate from the food prep sink)
A cutting surface
Storage for utensils
Storage for pans
Storage for raw ingredients
Storage for the finished products
Proper aisle space for movement
LIFETIME VALUE
The true cost of any foodservice equipment item is not the
purchase price alone, rather, it is the purchase price plus:

Operational costs
maintenance costs
How long it will last
Labor efficiency

A piece of equipment that is attractive because of its lower

purchase price may, in the long run, prove to be a very expensive
investment if it requires more maintenance or more labor or is
not energy-efficient.
COMPROMISE
The designer will be basing the design on a set of principles
that should be clearly described to the efficient before the
project begins. If the client insists on making choices that depart
from principles of good design, the designer has three choices:
1. Formally express the concern and give in to the client’s
demand. The change should be put in writing for all to see,
but not in such a way that the client would be embarrassed.
2. Formally express the concern, then seek a design solution
that will satisfy the client and will preserve the principles of
good design.
3. As a last resort, resign and bill the client for the work
completed as of the day of the disagreement.
HUMAN ENGINEERING
Human engineering (or industrial engineering) is a discipline
that addresses how working conditions affect employee
satisfaction, safety, and productivity. The primary factors that
influence the quality of the workplace are:

Efficient work space

Sufficient aisle space
Construction, height, and arrangement of work surfaces
Equipment properly designed for the range of the human
body
Materials-handling tools and utensils
Temperature and humidity
Control of noise levels
Adequate lighting to perform the task
EFFICIENT WORK SPACE
The amount of space that an individual worker
needs is influenced by the:

Number of people working in the space

Amount and type of equipment
Clearance required for equipment doors
Type of food being processed
Amount of space needed for storage
ADEQUATE AISLE SPACE
The aisle space needed for different types of work areas is listed next:

Description of the Space Aisle width needed

Single aisle with limited equipment 2 feet 6 inches to 3 feet 0 inches (0.76 to 0.91 m)

Double aisle with limited equipment 3 feet 6 inches to 4 feet 6 inches (1.1 to 1.4 m)

Single aisle with protruding equipment 3 feet 6 inches to 4 feet 6 inches (1.1 to 1.4 m)

Double aisle with protruding equipment 4 feet 6 inches to 6 feet (1.4 to 1.8 m)

Aisle with little traffic 3 feet 0 inches to 4 inches to 0 feet (0.9 to 1.2
m)

Aisle with minor traffic 4 feet 0 inches to 6 feet to 0 inches (1.2 to 1.8 m)
WORK SURFACES
Work surfaces should be arranged within easy reach of the worker. Tabletops
are often 30 inches (760 mm) wide in production area, because the average worker
can reach out only 30 inches (760 mm) from a standing position. The height of the
work surface should permit the worker to chop or to do other hand work without
stooping over, A thick cutting board, for instance, will raise the surface height by 1
¾ to 3 inches (45 to 76 mm).
The standard used by most designers for the height of a work surface is 34 to 37
inches (864 to 940 mm). If a work area will be used for heavy, bulky objects, a lower
height should be selected. Some height variations can be created for the worker by
the use of mats on the floor, cutting boards on the table, or adjustable table feet.
The amount of space needed from one side of a work surface to the other will
depend on the size of the materials used and the layout of the work area. For
example, if standard 18 by 26 inch sheet pans (460 by 660 mm) are used as tray for
holding individual tossed salads, space would be needed for:
• Empty bowls
• Bulk tossed salads
• Empty sheet pans
• Sheet pans filled with salads
 The most important guidelines for good workplace layout is to
think through the steps in a process and provide a space for the
food and equipment needed to carry out these steps for instance a
sandwich makeup table in a cold food production area needs:

• storage for plates

• refrigerated storage for food
• storage for bread
• utensil drawer or rack
• cutting surface
• toaster
• refrigerated compartments for condiments
• sink with hot and cold water
• garbage disposal or can
• pickup area for servers

The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) lists three types of

surfaces used for foodservices equipments: food contact
surfaces, splash contact surfaces, and nonfood contact
surfaces.
PROPERLY DESIGNED EQUIPMENT

The design of the equipment from the human engineering

point of view is also a consideration of the professional food
facilities design consultant.

A checklist can be used as a guide to human engineering

in equipment design. Although it is not intended as a
comprehensive guide to all design features that should be in
a food facility, the list does contain items that are often
overlooked in designing a foodservice facility. The use of the
checklist will help ensure a food operation that is
engineered for comfort, safety and sanitation.
APPROPRIATE TOOLS AND UTENSILS

The lifting of heavy objects by foodservice workers can

lead to accidents and personal injury. Materials handling
tools and equipment that can greatly reduce or eliminate
worker injury include:

• carts
• forklift trucks
• hand forklift trucks (mules)
• hand trucks
• portable receiving ramps
• skate wheel conveyors
FLOORS
adequate number of floor drains to make floor dry
carborundum chips in quarry tile slippery or wet areas
Slip-resistant wax on vinyl floors
ramps and handrails in receiving area and storage space for carts and hand trucks
floor mats for comfort of workers who must stand in one place for long periods of times
kitchen floor levels with walk-in refrigerator floor
heavy slope of floor around steam-jacketed kettles to encourage quick drain-off of hot liquids
to floor drains
coved corners of floors where they meet the wall, for case of cleaning

MATERIALS CLEANING
hand trucks and carts for moving all foods
strong, easy-to-clean shelving
portable shelving
ladders for reaching stored goods on high shelves
carts for the movement of processed foods from production area to refrigeration and then to
service area
UTENSIL HANDLING
knife racks
easy-to-clean utensil drawers with removable inserts
utensil drawers at every workstation and table
overhead utensil racks

FOOD PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT

Compliance with NSF standards
Compliance with ADA requirements
Portable equipment, if needed in more than one department
Portable bins for flour, sugar, and salt
Wall-hung or mounted on legs for ease of cleaning
Free of burrs, sharp edges, or difficult-to-reach areas
safety equipment and guards on equipment, such as shields for mixing machine
Disposals in all production areas (if permitted by local codes)
Open rail-type under shelving that will permit crumbs and small particles of food to fall to the
floor
Marine edge on all tables with sinks (to prevent water from spilling on floor)
Adequate space for parking equipment from other departments (bread racks, raw ingredients
from stores, etc.)
SERVICE AND DINING
Condiments and support service equipment available near the point of service
Convenient dish drop-off
Easy-to-clean chairs with absence of cracks that accumulate crumbs
Minimum number of steps from food pickup to point of service

WAREWASHING EQUIPMENT
Pot storage racks beside pot washing station and in or near each work area
Storage containers for soiled linens
Box, glass, and metal can container in each major work area
Utensil sorting table
Paper and bone container at dishwashing station
Pre rinse, power or hand
Cleaning supply storage
Hose reel
cart wash-down area
ADEQUATE LIGHTING

Adequate lighting is essential in food preparation and service. Employees need sufficient
light to observe the quality of the food products they are handling and to monitor the
cleanliness of their work areas. The standard measure of light is the foot-candle, which is
equivalent to the amount of light from a standard candle that strikes a 1-foot-square surface
from a distance of 1 foot.

Space FOOT CANDLES

Kitchen Work Area 30-40
Storeroom 10-20
Cashier 50-60
Loading Platform 20-25
Building Entrance 10-20
Rest Room 20-30
Hotel: General Guest Areas 10-20
Accounting and Bookkeeping Offices 100-150

Dining Rooms
Quick Service 40-50
Casual Dining 10-20
White tablecloth 5-15
 TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY
The relationship among temperature, humidity, and air movement is a
technical subject that is the responsibility of the engineer on the design
project. The range of the temperature and humidity in which most of the
people who use the building will be comfortable is referred to as the
comfort zone.
In foodservice facilities, a limited number of kitchens or dishwashing
rooms are air-conditioned. Air movement is therefore essential for comfort.
If the temperature is slighlly high but air movement is rapid, skin
evaporation will usually keep the body cool enough for comfort.
Dishwashing rooms and range sections of a food facility are usually the
most difficult areas to keep comfortable. In the dishroom, the high humidity
produced by the moisture from the automatic dishwashing equipment
creates two problem: The workers are uncomfortable and the dishes do not
air-dry. The designer must work closely with the engineers to make sure
that air movement is sufficient and that ventilation duets are provided for
both the feed (entrance) and discharge ends of the dish machine.
NOISE CONTROL
High noise levels are very unpleasant for the worker in the foodservice facility. It has
been demonstrated in industrial settings that excessive noise causes fatigue,
accidents, and low productivity in direct relationship to the volume of the noise.
Some techniques that will help to reduce noise in a foodservice facility are:

Sound-deadening materials sprayed onto the underside of all tables and counters.
The separation of areas (other than production) in the food facility department,
especially ware washing. The construction of walls between the kitchen and the
ware washing area will restrict noise transmission.
Designing conveyors to create a sound barrier between dish drop-off points and
ware washing.
Acoustic ceilings that are grease or moisture-resistant
Carpeting in dining room seating areas
Carpeting on the walls in dining areas. This is an excellent wall finish because it not
only absorbs sound but will take the punishment of chairs and tables that often sear
wooden, papered, or painted wall finishes.
Double doors between the dining room and the kitchen.
Background music in both the public areas and the back of the establishment
(kitchen, ware washing area, service area)
Remote refrigeration compressors.
FOODSERVICE DESIGN AND TITLES II AND III OF THE
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

following are some general provisions of the act, taken from the federal register (page 35665), that may be helpful in the planning
process.

5.3 Aisle width: all accessible fixed tables shall be accessible by means of an access aisle at least 36 inches (915 mm) clear between
paralleled edges of tables or between a wall and the table.

5.4 dining areas: in new construction all dining areas, including raised or sunken dining areas, loggias, and outdoor seating areas
shall be accessible.

5.5 food service lines: foodservice lines shall have a minimum clear width of 36 inches (915 mm), with a preferred clear width of 42
inches (1065 mm) to allow passage around a person using a wheelchair. Tray slides shall be mounted no higher than 34 inches (865
mm) above the floor.
SUMMARY
The design of the foodservice facility will have a significant impact on its safety,
efficiency, ease of maintenance, and long term operating costs. Principles of design
include:

Flexibility and modularity make it feasible to change the design as consumer demand
requires new and different menu items and preparation techniques.
Simplicity in design leads to efficiency and long term labor savings.
A design that arranges work areas to facilitate the flow of products saves steps and
therefore saves labor costs.
A design that makes sanitation a simple process leads to greater food safety, thereby
protecting the health of guests as well as the business.
A design in which the manager can easily supervise and assist employees facilitates
communication and coordination and leads to better employee relations.
A design that maximizes lifetime value, rather that minimizing initial capital
investment, leads to the long term financial health and viability of the operation.
All designs reflect some degree of compromise. The more informed the design team can
be about the costs and benefits of each alternative, the better the outcome will be.
Human engineering specifies the design factors that lead to efficient work as well as the
prevention of work-related injuries.
The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that foodservice facilities can be designed
to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities to the maximum extent feasible.