SubscribeSign In
Snaidero Universal Design KitchensView 8 Photos

Snaidero Universal Design Kitchens

Universal design doesn't need to be ugly--and, more so, shouldn't be. Done well, it's undifferentiated design for the whole population, for disabled and nondisabled people alike, as Graham Pullin, the author of Design Meets Disability, says in Universal Design 101, which he penned for Dwell's March 2010 kitchen-themed issue. Eight years ago, Italian kitchen company Snaidero adapted this belief and set out to create an attractive kitchen collection called Skyline.
Text by
View 8 Photos
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.

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.

The company first developed Skyline Lab, in which to test their ideas and develop prototypes. The found that pull-out shelves make it easier for people in wheelchairs to reach objects and shallow sinks offer higher clearance and let  users navigate their wheelchairs under the sink without banging up their knees.

Snaidero worked with Lucci Orlandini Design to create the Skyline collection, which the company then 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.

The Skyline kitchens feature rounded edges and contoured countertops so that individuals in wheelchairs can move around the entire space and reach all areas. The drawers and fridges feature pull-out draws, the sinks have shallow basins to allow the extra legroom below, and the countertop shelves are made of glass and include built-in retainers so that items can be seen from beneath but don't fall off the shelves.

To see more images of the Snaidero Skyline Kitchen, view our slideshow. To learn more about design for everyone, read Universal Design 101 from the March 2010 issue, or watch our Universal Design: Public Restrooms video.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Snaidero Universal Design Kitchens - Photo 8 of 8 -

For more about universal design, read "101 Universal Design" in our March 2010 kitchen-themed issue or view our "Universal Design: Public Restrooms" video.

Miyoko Ohtake
When not writing, Miyoko Ohtake can be found cooking, training for her next marathon, and enjoying all that the City by the Bay and the great outdoors have to offer.

Published

Last Updated

Get the Dwell Newsletter

Be the first to see our latest home tours, design news, and more.