UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

The Cornell Kitchen: Design and Housing Research in Postwar America

Penner, B; (2018) The Cornell Kitchen: Design and Housing Research in Postwar America. Technology and Culture , 59 (1) pp. 48-94. 10.1353/tech.2018.0006. Green open access

[thumbnail of Penner_project_muse_692167.pdf]
Preview
Text
Penner_project_muse_692167.pdf - Published Version

Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

The Cornell Kitchen (1950–55) was produced at Cornell University by a multidisciplinary team with expertise in home economics, engineering, architecture, and psychology. It promised to deliver rational design, functional principles, aesthetic appeal, and emotional satisfaction in one prefabricated, easy-to-install package. This article sets out the kitchen’s history from its design to its field-testing phase to its impact on postwar kitchens. It argues that the kitchen represents an important effort to approach housing in a more scientific way; scientific methods were deployed to understand both the physical and socio-psychological problems of dwelling. The project also sought to introduce a specific model for leveraging housing research into the real world, partnering with industry to mass produce scientific designs. Social scientific methods were hence used to create not only more livable but also more saleable products in an effort to appeal to manufacturers and consumers alike.

Type: Article
Title: The Cornell Kitchen: Design and Housing Research in Postwar America
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1353/tech.2018.0006
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1353/tech.2018.0006
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > The Bartlett School of Architecture
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1519930
Downloads since deposit
1,264Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item