#Overview of Commercial Kitchen Design Classes and Training Programs

Essential Information

Kitchen and bath design certificate programs are fairly common at community colleges and vocational schools. In addition, interior design associate's and bachelor's programs may include kitchen design and commercial design coursework. Private organizations also offer certification programs and continuing education courses specifically in kitchen design.

List of Common Courses

The summaries below detail some of the most common courses in interior design and kitchen design programs.

Basic Architectural Drawing Skills Course

Many interior design projects require students to understand the architectural structure of the spaces they are designing, remodeling or renovating. A course in basic architectural drawing skills trains students in reading blueprints and creating hand sketches of both commercial and residential interior spaces. Students are also introduced to drafting techniques and tools, which prepare them to advance in an interior design program.

Basic Principles of Interior Design Course

This course introduces students to the basic concepts of interior design and is often a prerequisite for design courses. During this course, students learn to assess an interior space's functional and aesthetic potential. Both residential and commercial spaces are usually included in lecture and required design studio projects.

Commercial Interior Design and Construction Course

Students learn to take into account the relationship between construction, layout design and interior planning in commercial structures such as office buildings, health facilities, hotels and restaurants. This course also addresses the layout of building systems, including, electric, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Some programs include field trips to local commercial buildings and require students to submit correlating design projects.

Introduction to Kitchen Design Course

Introductory courses in kitchen design often address factors that can be applied to both commercial and residential kitchens. Instruction includes sketching possible floor plans and assessing the most effective location for appliances, sinks and storage. Some programs require students to create design projects using computer-aided design (CAD) software. Residential design programs often pair this course with instruction in bathroom design.

Advanced Kitchen Design Course

An advanced course in kitchen design often focus on either residential or commercial kitchens. In this course, students build on the skills they acquired in an introductory kitchen design course to create interior design plans as well as construction documentation for commercial spaces. They also learn to take into account any auxiliary spaces available within the kitchen layout as well as any particular client needs or requests.

Training Programs for Commercial Kitchen Design

Both certificate and undergraduate programs in interior design offer training opportunities that aspiring commercial interior designers can use to design kitchens for commercial spaces, such as hotels, resorts and restaurants. Although many interior design programs focus on residential kitchen design, most include some coursework specific to commercial construction projects that can be applied to a commercial kitchen.

Other training options can be found through the National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), a nationally recognized professional organization for designers who specialize in kitchen and bathroom spaces (www.nkba.org ). The NKBA offers both continuing education opportunities as well as training toward becoming a Certified Kitchen Designer or an Associate Kitchen and Bath Designer.