'Bumble Bee Kitchen'
This project represented something of a departure from traditional catering kitchen design and one with which we feel privileged to have been involved.
Bluebell Wood is a newly constructed children's hospice incorporating all the best facilities for the palliative care of children with life limiting conditions and support for their families.
The hospice helps children from South Yorkshire, North East Derbyshire, North Nottinghamshire and North Lincolnshire.
Most of the funding for the construction was raised by charitable donation. The annual running costs are in the region of £2.4million to be met by various fund raising initiatives.
Client's Brief
To design a catering kitchen and servery combined with a teaching kitchen for older children to learn cooking skills.
The kitchen had to meet all EHO requirements and HSE guidelines but with a finish sympathetic with their core woodland theme and was to be the 'heart of the home' where children and their families can meet in a warm, comfortable environment.
It was absolutely not to look like an industrial kitchen.
As part of the Bluebell Wood theme it was named the 'Bumble Bee Kitchen'.
The kitchen was designed in two sections separated by two safety gates. The commercial equipment is hidden behind a dwarf wall where the children can see chef at work.
The commercial equipment is gas and the extraction and air input systems are concealed behind MDF panelling so cannot be seen from the seating areas.
In keeping with BS6173 we have fitted a gas interlock/proving panel and as required under part H building Regulations we have installed a drain maintenance system concealed behind a cupboard unit.
All services, pipe work and isolators are similarly concealed but easily accessible.
We also provided a separate office, dry goods and cold stores situated out of view of the main kitchen.
The training kitchen comprises an integral electric domestic oven, microwave oven and refrigerator.
The bespoke kitchen is constructed from MDF laminated base units and wall cupboards with stainless steel easy grip handles.
The counter tops are
made from Corian with high upstands moulded into the window reveals
and around columns to provide a totally hygienic
finish.
We were provided with a number of Bumble Bee cartoons and our very skilled manufacturing partners sublimated these into the Corian upstand on the training kitchen side so they could be seen from the seating areas.
As the images are absorbed into the Corian they are totally cleanable and will not deteriorate.
The training area has low level pull-out worktop sections with wheel chair access and the servery, incorporating a hotcupboard and beverage machines is also set at a level suitable for wheelchair users.
Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice is very grateful for all donations and if anyone feels they would like to help this extremely worthy cause we would suggest you look at their web page at www.bluebellwood.org
Other contacts for donations are
carolineartschan@bluebellwood.org
Telephone 01909 517365
