Cohousing-L Mailing List: kitchen and dining facilities

[School of Mathematics, U of MN (dept]

To all out there with experience in designing or use of kitchen and dining 
facilities in communities:

The Monterey CoHousing Community in Minneapolis, MN is renovating the 
kitchen and dining area of an old mansion that will house our common 
areas.  

Our design team has the following questions:
1.  What percentage of your total community eats meals regularly?   

2.  Is your dining area large enough to seat every member of the community 
for dining? 

3.  What is the square footage of your kitchen and what is the size of your 
community?  Rough estimates will do.   

4.  How large is the dining area compared to the size of the kitchen and in 
relation to the size of the community?  Again, a rough estimate will do. 

5.  Do you have a special dining area reserved for families with small 
children?  Small children don't do so well in a noisy dining 
environment.  Would a separate area, available to those that wish to use 
it, help the problem?

6.  How do you keep the noise down when a large number of people gathers 
for dinner?  Any noise reduction built into the dining room?  Any other 
means you use?

7.  What size is your pantry?  Is yours too large or not large enough?Any 
experience with food storage?

8.  Do you use a commercial dish washing machine?  

9.  We think that we need a stove with 6 burners.  We are less agreed on 
the size and number of the oven(s).

10.  What size refrigerator do you recommend?

Many thanks,
Monika Stumpf, Monterey CoHousing Community, Minneapolis MN area