Compact living: designing for yachts | FOCUS 5. 4.
6.
4-6. Yachts come in all shapes and sizes but the same challenges appply to all – clever storage solutions and a good working layout for the kitchen in terms of the prep and cooking areas
‘It’s almost like a ballet!’
builders like Greenline in Slovenia and De Ruyter in Holland. Designers focus on conquering the challenge of balancing space for units and appliances while providing sufficient storage capacity. Often this means the innovative use of overhead and under-floor space. “There’s a balance to be had between appliance storage and consumable storage,” Berg continues. “Effectively the number of cans you need and the number of pots and pans and crockery. You can’t bias one over the other. On custom boats, the owners demand customised crockery and cutlery expected from a first- class restaurant. That’s tricky. We spend a lot of time organising the storage within the lockers. They fit into nice little recesses, and the glasses fit behind Perspex, so they don’t topple over. Innovative and stylish hinge and catch solutions are also very popular with clients.
“Sometimes we’ve incorporated storage bins in the deck head – the roof, like a bin on a plane. Again, it ekes out a bit of space in the ceiling, we’ll nab that. It’s a nightmare for the builders, they hate us, it costs them huge amounts of money to manufacture on a custom basis. And we’re putting things like pan drawers under the cookers, which you can just squeeze in. It might only be four inches vertically deep, but it’ll be quite long outboard. We’re building in lockers where we can, just to give as much volume as possible. We’re doing a lot of things under the floor like freezers and fridges, and also long-term storage too. We’ll have traps in the floor with drop-in stowage baskets for canned food or whatever.”
Gaggenau is a favourite appliance choice, but designers rarely use a full-size oven and prefer a three-burner hob. Specialist marine companies like Force 10 supply compact stainless steel cookers, while Dometic supplies space-saving fridges and freezers. “We won’t do a 600mm x 600mm hob,” Berg says, “and although we’d love a 900mm wide Gaggenau oven, we’d lose a 300mm storage locker.”
As you’d expect, bathrooms are equally challenging. Designs focus on maximising light and openness using mirrors and reflective surfaces as much as possible. An 800mm diameter shower won’t work, so bespoke options are sourced. “We do a lot of partitioning in the head compartment,” Berg explains. “We also have standalone basins sitting on the countertop rather than sub-mounting the sink under the countertop to again make it feel bigger.”
August 2019 · kbbreview
Luxury furniture designer Tim Gosling explains the principles of good galley design onboard a super yacht and the challenges it presents
Q & A
Q: What are the key challenges with small galley kitchens and how have you sought to overcome them? A: The working triangle is still important – but on a luxury super yacht there are way more factors to consider. It’s a series of very complicated triangles and movements that have to be seamlessly navigated without impacting the owners and guests. The first step is making sure it’s all safe to use in rough seas – no hard corners. And make sure the cooking area doesn’t have traffic of people passing to get through to the plating up and serving area. It’s critical to work out the foot movement of how food is cooked and served in the drawing/ designing stage before making it a reality. With a team of at least six people in the kitchen, it can become almost like a ballet!
Q: What have you learnt from designing kitchens for luxury yachts that might be of interest to a domestic kitchen designer faced with a restricted space? A: A great small kitchen idea that can be used on a yacht just as in a small apartment is a living wall for growing of herbs and salad leaves. On a yacht, it is sometimes a few days before you are able
to take stock of fresh mint for the Mojito – imagine having all these built into the designs of an apartment block. Designing requires both prep and cooking spaces – along with the lay-up and serving areas. On larger super yachts, you may have two chefs. Some of the kitchens in the luxury developments are following this format with two kitchens.
Q: How does galley design differ from more conventional kitchen design? A: A luxury yacht requires a kitchen with equipment and the surfaces required to prepare foods from around the world. A wood stove for an Italian pizza, tandoori, rotisserie chicken – it’s fascinating to see how clients on yachts require food just as they would if they were on land.
Q: What are the key points to remember when designing for a yacht? A: The biggest difference is on land the client will be expected to be part of the kitchen environment. With a full-time chef, they become part of the kitchen hub, but the kitchen is still on show. On board a super yacht, under very few circumstances will the client ever sit in the kitchen and talk to the chef – the chef will always come out each morning to the client at breakfast to discuss the day’s menu, timings, etc, along with the captain.
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