4 ms·
How dystopian. Its ironic, how as technology improves, things often get worse, because the cheapest, worse, solution becomes too cheep, and reasonable solutions
by timthelion 9y ago
How dystopian. Its ironic, how as technology improves, things often get worse, because the cheapest, worse, solution becomes too cheep, and reasonable solutions cannot compete. It is no harder for us, today, to install windows in prefab buildings, than it was 10 years ago, but the windowless shipping container has gotten so cheep, that the window becomes a considerable cost. It is like how 30 years ago, most businesses had a telephone line and was easy to contact but today, the idea of having an actual telephone line and secretaries to answer the phone seems "too expensive". It wasn't any cheaper back then though.
- icebraining 9y agoI'm curious, do restaurant kitchens usually have exterior windows? My mental image of them (surely mostly from TV) is not of a place with plenty of natural light.
- jjeaff 9y agoI've watched a lot of Food TV and I can't recall ever seeing windows in any professional kitchen.
- the_mitsuhiko 9y agoI suppose depends on the country? In Austria employees are generally entitled to natural light through an actual window (must be possible to see outside). Exceptions are only granted to places only open at night and a few other exceptions like stores underground.
- astura 9y agoI worked in an industrial kitchen and there was no windows. There was a loading dock that was closed unless it was in use.
- contingencies 9y agoStrictly speaking loading docks are not supposed to directly front on to food preparation or fresh food storage areas as exhaust fumes can be detected in foods by blind taste panels. (Source: Recent research on facility design for http://infinite-food.com/ http://infinite-food.com/)
- mseebach 9y ago> How dystopian You're objecting to an aesthetic, not frankly anything of substance. Very few restaurant kitchens are particularly pleasant places to work, often cramped (because they take up square feet in prime real estate) and very hot. Three staff in a container seems comparatively spacious. Also, when The Guardian struggles to find other fault than temperature and lack of appropriate council permits, that's about as strong a confirmation of adequate working conditions you're likely to find.
- timthelion 9y agoOh, if the work conditions are usually terrible than I guess it's fine.
- tolien 9y agoA related article [1] suggests there's "room for six or seven chefs" which sounds like a rather more cramped setup than three. One wonders, given they don't seem to have bothered with planning permission, whether any consideration's been given to fire safety either. 1: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/oct/08/deliveroo-battles-councils-over-pop-up-takeaway-food-kitchens https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/oct/08/deliveroo-b...
- timthelion 9y agoAre there really fire safety concerns in such small spaces?
- tolien 9y agoWorking beside a pizza oven, gas stoves and hot cooking oil? I guess the concern is "if it catches fire, you're dead" but it's still an issue... Edit: small spaces and hot cooking oil, youch - have the restaurants employing these chefs told their insurers that they're doing this?
- subway 9y agohttps://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/bikini-barista-dies-after-fire-at-everett-coffee-stand/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/bikini-barista-die... Yes.
- skewart 9y ago> How dystopian. What exactly seems dystopian? The author sure was trying hard to dramatize these micro kitchens, describing them in commically over-the-top ways - "dark kitchens" near highway overpasses evokes thoughts of secret interrogation sites. But what actual, tangible aspects of these kitchens seems dystopian or bad? Overall they seem like a great trend. Small-scale infill development can reduce traffic and pollution while also creating a better experience for restaurant customers - more food available with faster delivery times. It does sound like in at least one case planning regulations were not being accurately followed. That's not good. And maybe some kitchen environments weren't very good. Individual restaurants violating labor laws should be punished, and/or regulations should be updated if there are special considerations needed for these micro-kitchens. (The lack of windows though is probably because they need to use wall space for storage and equipment and not a way to save money; it's also not necessarily a big deal in a small building if you can leave the door open.) At the end of the day I'm just not seeing how urban infill micro-kitchens are a terrible dystopian trend.
- a3n 9y ago> what actual, tangible aspects of these kitchens seems dystopian or bad? Car exhaust floating in to the kitchen through the open doors. If you've ever lived in an apartment with a balcony near a freeway, you'll know why I'd never eat food prepared in that environment.
- skewart 9y agoIs it different from a restaurant near a busy road, or by the side of a highway? The micro-kitchen location shown in the photo at the top of the article was near a highway. I doubt all of them are in locations exactly like that.
- woolvalley 9y agoHave you worked in a fast food kitchen? Or any restaurant kitchen? It's windowless and greasy and often surrounded by a parking lot close to a busy road. I also had classes as a child in buildings called 'portables' which look pretty similar to these things, except with windows and a normal classroom interior.