The kitchen work triangle

The work triangle is the foundation of kitchen ergonomics since 1940. It was formalised by the University of Illinois School of Architecture, and remains the absolute reference for designing a functional kitchen.

The principle, the three work poles of the kitchen (refrigerator, sink, hob) must form a triangle whose each side measures between 1.20 and 2.70 metres, and whose three sides together do not exceed 6 metres.

Shorter than that, the poles are crammed together and you lack worktop between them. Longer, you cover unnecessary distances and lose efficiency.

Identify the three poles.

The storage pole is the refrigerator (and ideally the dry-goods cupboards).

The washing pole is the sink (and ideally the dishwasher next to it).

The cooking pole is the hob (and ideally the oven below, and the extractor hood above).

Measure the existing triangle. From the centre of each pole to the centre of the next. If you find a distance under 1.20 m, the poles are too close and you lack worktop between them. If it exceeds 2.70 m, you waste time on every preparation.

Adapt to kitchen shape.

U-shaped kitchen. The ideal shape for the triangle. Each pole occupies one side of the U. Distances easy to manage.

L-shaped kitchen. Well suited. Two poles on one side, one on the other. Very common in residential.

Galley (straight-line) kitchen. The "degenerate" triangle, all poles in a row. Common in urban flats. Acceptable up to 4 metres of total length. Beyond that, too long and inefficient.

Kitchen with island. Allows one of the poles (often sink or hob) to be placed on the island, opening the kitchen. Very ergonomic if well proportioned.

Small urban kitchen case (under 8 m²). The triangle naturally shrinks. Aim for 1.20 m on each side, but accept 1 m if space is very tight. The absolute rule, always a worktop between hob and sink, even just 30 cm. This is the zone where you drain, set down, wait.

Common mistakes.

Hob and sink more than 2.70 m apart. You will carry boiling pasta water 3 metres. Impractical.

Refrigerator in a distant corner. Each ingredient taken out forces you to cross the kitchen. Place the fridge near the sink for efficiency.

Poles side by side without worktop. If hob and sink are stuck together, you have nowhere to set down ingredients in preparation.

Kitchen professionals (premium kitchen makers such as Bulthaup, Boffi, Poliform) systematically use the triangle rule, sometimes extended to a fourth pole (eating zone, or bar/preparation zone), forming a work trapezium.

For small urban kitchens, the rule simplifies. Compact poles (1.20 m per side), worktop between each, 30-40 cm minimum. The galley kitchen with two sides can be very efficient if it stays under 3 metres.

Studio KO sometimes works "open kitchen on an island", where the island carries hob and sink, and the fridge stays against a wall. Compact triangle (1.50 m per side), very efficient in space.