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Once you settle on the location, focus on providing maximum comfort to the users
by Joseph B. Lanza
Location is first
Just like designing a house, designing a good nook starts with the
site. Proximity to the food-prep area is important, but the primary
concerns are traffic patterns and light. Locate the nook out of the way
of major thoroughfares, if possible. The seating should be easy to get
in and out of. Restaurant-style booths don’t work well without
waitstaff. “Captive” seats should have more than one way out, not
including crawling under the table. This generally limits built-in seating
to two sides of a rectangular table or 180° of a round table.
The sun is always the best source of light. If possible, locate the nook
near windows, and incorporate those windows into the design of the
nook. (Be sure to use tempered glass if the windows are within reach
of elbows.) East- or south-facing windows are best for daylight. Also,
consider any existing or potential views to the outside. If there is
nothing worth seeing outside, consider interior views of adjacent
rooms and architectural features.
Artificial lighting should be planned not just for dining, but also for
table activities such as work, games, and crafts. Provide ambient as Corner seat at 45°Corners often make good sites for
well as direct overhead light, making sure to locate fixtures to avoid nooks, but square corners create dead spots that are
not useful for seating. If there is enough space, it is
glare at seated eye level. Dimmers on all fixtures will allow light to be usually better to cross the corner with a seat at 45° to
adjusted for a wide range of activities. the two sides. It usually works best with a round or
oval table, and it requires a relatively wide space for
the nook.
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There is a lot of anthropometric data out there. Because a lot of industries depend on it, I was surprised to find that not
much solid information is available online. The American Institute of Architects’ Architectural Graphic Standards, 11th
ed. (Wiley & Sons, 2007), probably has enough to get you started on a comfortable design, but the best source I know
of is Humanscale 1/2/3 (MIT Press, 1974). This portfolio contains a booklet with anthropometric measurements, a
comprehensive list of seating-design considerations, a discussion of design requirements for the handicapped and
elderly, and three pictorial selectors containing rotary dials that give specific dimensions for designing for people of
various sizes. Unfortunately, it is now out of print. The drawing below shows how I applied Humanscale dimensions to a
particular project.
If you plan to use seat cushions, 1-in. to 2-in. of firm padding is plenty. Don’t lower the seat by much, because the foam
will compress. Lumbar support is an important feature for long-term seating comfort, but I usually ignore it for built-ins.
Properly curved lumbar support would require bending plywood or horizontal slats (coopered or butted) for the back
rest. Throw pillows are simpler and more cost-effective.
After arriving at a design in cross section, make a mock-up about 24-in. wide. (I did this for the seat shown in "A Built-In
Corner Seating Nook" from FHB#225.) I had started with a seat pitch of 5°. However, test sitters found the seat more
comfortable when angled back about 5° more, so I adjusted the angle.
Once you have a comfortable seat, consider storage. The table usually will make access to any space under the seat a
bit awkward, so it’s better to make the access from the ends. If that does not work for your layout, try drawers under the
seat. A lift-up seat is easier to build but awkward to use. The space behind the seat backs is usually easier to get to, an
the seat backs can be doors that are hinged on the sides or at the bottom. If there is enough room, the seat backs can
be made deeper to accommodate more storage. If your seat makes a diagonal corner in a square room, a corner
cabinet behind it can hold a lot of stuff.
Calculating comfort
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