Cosentino presents the Global Kitchen Study in Montreal and Toronto
Tags: news and events | 7 years ago | Written by: Cosentino
Cosentino presented the Global Kitchen Report, an extensive international study examining the main design and usage trends for the home kitchen of the future, in two Canadian markets. Conducted by the Silestone Institute, the report features renowned architects, interior designers, professors and international celebrity chefs, offering their expertise and insights into the effect of globalization in the kitchen and identifying how this home space will evolve over the next 25 years.
The purpose of the presentation was to promote an interdisciplinary thinking space for analysing the effect of globalisation on the domestic kitchen and identifying how this space will change in the next 25 years.
The Montreal presentation took place on June 15th at the Cosentino Montreal City showroom in Old Montreal. The panel featured: Santiago Alfonso Rodriguez, Vice President of Global Marketing for Cosentino Group, Sandy Gordon of Sandy Gordon Interiors, Patricia Moore of Moore Design Associates, Montreal chef Jean-Louis Themis and was moderated by radio anchor and media personality, Catherine Richer.
The Toronto presentation took place at the Cosentino City Toronto showroom on July 13th. The expert panel again featured Santiago Alfonso Rodriguez, Sandy Gordon and Patricia Moore. Toronto celebrity chef & restaurateur Grant Van Gameren was a new addition and shared his expertise on how the modern-day kitchen is constantly evolving and how he plans to keep up with future trends. The evening was moderated by Margot Austin, design influencer and stylist.
During both insightful presentations, the expert panel highlighted the Canadian and global perspective to key members of the architecture and design community. Below are a few key highlights from the study:
Multi-Functional Space: The kitchen, besides cementing its role as the nerve centre of the home, is destined to become a multi-functional space. Today, it is often the largest and most invested in room within the home. The kitchen will become a hyper connected space for leisure, work, health, relaxation and well-being. It will regain its traditional title as the centre of the home, a title that has been slowly stripped away over the decades. As a multi-functional space, the kitchen is expected to disappear as an independent room altogether.
Efficiency, Flexibility and Sustainability: When it comes to designing the kitchen, the efficiency and energy efficiency, flexibility and sustainability of the materials will all be considered, without compromising their durability, safety and hygiene. Countertops of the future will allow us to cook directly on their surfaces, incorporate connectivity and serve as a control panel. These countertops will also manage tasks like weighing and calculating the nutritional value of food, absorbing liquids and cleaning.
Connectivity: The kitchen’s connection to the internet and devices (tablets, mobiles, computer, wearables, smart appliances, etc.) stands out as one of the major technological developments in the medium to short-term, ahead of sustainable solutions in water and energy conservation and waste management. The rapid advancement of technology, connectivity and smart appliances will not only make shopping, cooking and laundry easier, but also the relationship with our surroundings, enabling us to use the countertop to cook, make phone calls and even watch television. This will professionalise the space, either through greater access to equipment, that until now has only been available in the catering sector, or by expanding knowledge and the growing interest in food, nutrition and foodie culture.
A total of 842 kitchen and bath professionals from eight countries (Australia, Brazil, Spain, United States, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom and Sweden) took part in the survey which supplements the Global Kitchen Report. The study assesses the evolution of kitchen space in terms of use, design and equipment, considering the respondents’ proximity and direct contact with the end user, as well as their experience and knowledge of the sector.
The Silestone Institute forecasts that in 25 years, the kitchen will be a social and health-focused space (spurred on by the spread of healthier cooking methods, home-grown or zero-mile produce), a place for connecting with others in the home (socialising, working, etc.) and with homeowners’ surroundings (online shopping, interacting with the outside world, etc.). The kitchen’s transformation will require input from architecture and interior design professionals, sociologists, nutritionists, and environmental and energy efficiency specialists. It is Cosentino’s hope that the results of this study can be spread globally throughout the kitchen industry and society.
Click here for the full study
