La matriz de opciones: decidir comparando, no adivinando. That phrase describes the most important tool in MÉTODO's kitchen design process. The matrix of options is not a mood board or a product catalog — it is a structured comparison that allows a client to make a design decision with complete information, including the trade-offs they are accepting.
Why Kitchen Design Fails Without a Process
Most kitchen design problems are not design problems — they are process problems. A kitchen that the client is unhappy with after construction usually went wrong at one of three points: the layout was selected without studying alternatives, materials were chosen from showroom samples without being seen in the actual kitchen light, or mechanical systems were left to the contractor and produced a result inconsistent with the design intent.
The process before the style. A rigorous design process does not constrain creative results — it protects them by ensuring that every decision was made with the right information at the right time.
In MÉTODO, the kitchen design process has four phases. Each phase has a defined output and ends with a client review before the next phase begins.
Phase 1: Existing Conditions and Brief
Before any design begins, MÉTODO produces a base document that contains two things:
Existing conditions: Measured drawings of the current space (or structural drawings for new construction), documentation of mechanical rough-ins, floor-to-floor height, natural light study by orientation and hour, and relevant context — views, adjacent spaces, traffic paths.
Design brief: The client's cooking habits (daily cooking or occasional, professional skill level, equipment preferences), storage priorities (pantry versus refrigerator versus counter storage), dining integration (does the kitchen connect to a dining table or is it a separate cooking room), and any non-negotiable constraints from the client's existing routines.
These two documents, produced before any design drawing is made, define the problem. A design that solves a well-defined problem is easier to evaluate than a design that emerges from intuition alone.
Phase 2: Schematic Design and the Matrix of Options
The schematic phase produces three or four layout alternatives for the kitchen, each studied at 1:50 plan and 1:50 section. The layouts are not arbitrary — each one represents a different organizational logic: galley for maximum work efficiency, L-shape for the corner connection to a dining zone, U-shape for maximum counter area, island configuration for social interaction during cooking.
Each layout option is presented in a matrix that shows:
- Total linear counter length
- Natural light exposure at counter height for each orientation
- Traffic path between kitchen and outdoor space or dining room
- Impact on adjacent spaces if walls are moved
- Mechanical implications (existing vs. new hood location, drain relocation requirement)
This is the first matrix of options in the project. The client selects a layout from this matrix — not from a feeling about which sketch looks best, but from a comparison of what each option actually delivers.
A second matrix of options covers material combinations for the selected layout. For each surface zone — countertop, cabinet face, wall plane, floor — two or three material options are listed with their performance profile:
- Maintenance requirement at 1, 3, and 10 years
- Estimated cost range per square meter for supply and installation
- Climate performance (humidity resistance, UV stability, thermal shock response)
- Aging character — does the material patina, wear, or hold constant
Physical samples of the top candidates are reviewed under the actual kitchen's natural light before any material is finalized.
Phase 3: Design Development and Drawing Set
Once the layout and materials are confirmed, the design development phase produces the full drawing set: plan, elevations, sections, and details at the scale required for contractor execution and permit submission.
The drawing set for a MÉTODO kitchen includes:
- Plan at 1:20 with all dimensions, appliance locations, and millwork unit designations
- Elevations of every wall at 1:20
- Section cuts through the kitchen at 1:20 showing ceiling plane, hood height, glazing sill and head heights, and floor connection
- Millwork details at 1:5 for every material transition, edge profile, hardware location, and joint condition
- A mechanical coordination drawing showing duct routing, gas line path, electrical outlet locations, and plumbing stub-out locations
- A stone layout drawing for countertop slabs showing slab orientation, joint locations, and edge profile
This level of documentation is not standard in residential kitchen design at any market level. It is the difference between a kitchen that is built as designed and a kitchen that is built as interpreted.
Phase 4: Construction Coordination
During construction, MÉTODO reviews shop drawings submitted by millwork fabricators and stone fabricators, conducts site visits at critical stages (substrate verification before stone templating, millwork installation start, mechanical rough-in before wall closure), and issues field clarifications when conditions differ from the drawing set.
The construction phase is not a separate service added after design — it is the final phase of the design process. A design that is not reviewed during construction is only half a design.
The Matrix of Options for Mechanical Systems
Kitchen ventilation is the mechanical decision with the most design impact. The matrix of options for a kitchen ventilation system includes:
| System Type | Capture Efficiency | Noise Level | Duct Requirement | Air Makeup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wall-mount chimney hood | High | Moderate | Exterior duct | Required above 600 CFM |
| Downdraft island | Moderate | High | Below-floor duct | Usually not required |
| Ceiling-integrated concealed | High | Low | Above-ceiling duct | Required |
| Recirculating | Low | Low | No duct | Not required |
For gas ranges in Mexico City or Colorado, recirculating hoods are not appropriate — gas combustion requires exterior exhaust. For induction ranges, recirculating is a viable option if exterior duct routing is prohibitive.
The ventilation matrix is presented alongside the layout options because hood location affects which layout configurations are practical and which require duct routing compromises.
Próximos pasos
The matrix of options is not a complication in the kitchen design process — it is the mechanism that converts client preferences into defensible decisions. A client who selects a material from a matrix knows what they chose and why. A client who selected it from a feeling alone may not remember the decision six months later.
At MÉTODO, we structure kitchen projects through documented decision points so the result can be evaluated against the choices made, not against unspecified expectations. Conoce el método de MÉTODO to understand how we apply this process to residential kitchens in Mexico City and Colorado.