Snaidero Universal Design Kitchens
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Italian kitchen company Snaidero set out in 2002 to create an attractive kitchen system that would meet the needs of individuals in wheelchairs. The result: the Skyline kitchen. -
Snaidero worked with Lucci Orlandini Design to create the kitchen collection, which the company later tested by installing a kitchen in the spinal unit at the Gervasutta Institute of Rehabilitative Medicine in Udine, Italy, for patients in wheelchairs participating in rehabilitative physical therapy to test out and give feedback. -
This drawing by Lucci Orlandini Design shows the countertop shelves, made of glass with built-in retainers so that items can be seen from underneath but don't fall off the edges. -
Snaidero found that pull-out shelves make it easier for individuals in wheelchairs to reach items and that rounded edges (as opposed to square corners) increase the area that the person can access and use. -
A sink with a shallow basin creates higher leg clearance so an individual in a wheelchair can use the sink without risking banging up their knees. -
Shown here is the kitchen installed at the Gervasutta Institute of Rehabilitative Medicine, where patients tested it design. -
Though the Skyline kitchen was designed specifically for use by individuals in wheelchairs, the idea was to create a kitchen that can be used by everyone, highlighting the goal of universal design. -
For more about universal design, read "101 Universal Design" in our March 2010 kitchen-themed issue or view our "Universal Design: Public Restrooms" video.
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