Methodology/Overview
The NKBA Kitchen & Bathroom Planning Guidelines with
Access Standards is a collection of illustrations and
planning suggestions to aid professionals in the safe
and effective planning of kitchens and bathrooms.
These guidelines are excerpted from the National
Kitchen & Bath Association Professional Resource
Library Kitchen Planning and Bath Planning volumes.
Designers and those interested in becoming kitchen
and bath design professionals benefit by studying
the complete body of knowledge found in the NKBA
Professional Resource Library.
These flexible and easy-to-understand guidelines
were developed under the guidance of the NKBA
by a committee of professionals. The committee
completed in-depth historical reviews of planning
guidelines dating back to 1920. The guidelines
published in this booklet reflect a composite of the
historical review, current industry environment, future
trends, consumer lifestyles, new research, new
building codes, and current industry practices; as
well as a Kitchen Storage Research Project conducted
by Virginia Polytechnic Institute.
The purpose of the guidelines is to serve as the
basis for:
- Testing core kitchen and bath design competencies
- Critiquing designer work
- Training designers in academic and educational programs
- Recognizing the importance of consumer health, safety and welfare in kitchen and bath design
The NKBA
The National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) is
a leading non-profit trade association dedicated to
the advancement of the kitchen & bath industry. The
NKBA has maintained its leadership status of excellence
and professionalism for over 45 years by providing
education, certification and the tools needed for
success. NKBA Education and Certification are the gold
standard in the kitchen & bath industry. The NKBA
offers professional development courses and levels of
certification for all stages of an individual’s career.
NKBA Education
NKBA Professional Development provides kitchen and bath professionals convenient and premier educational courses that will enhance their career. The NKBA provides focused, in-person professional development training and unique networking opportunities at more than 45 locations across North America, as well as educational opportunities through seminars, webinars, distance learning, online courses, web series, correspondence courses, and conferences. Professional development courses are aligned to specific industry segments such as dealers, cabinet shops, fabricators, and installers. Industry professionals can quickly determine which courses are appropriate for their segments by accessing the course descriptions on the NKBA website at NKBA.org/Courses, as well as in the NKBA Education Brochure. Finally, the NKBA has more than 50 Supported and Accredited Programs in colleges and universities across North America that specialize in kitchen and bath design.
NKBA Certification
NKBA Certification is based on in-depth testing and extensive industry experience, allowing consumers to know that their designers’ professional skills have been independently evaluated and tested. NKBA-certified professionals are committed to improving those skills through meeting continuing education and professional development requirements.
There are three levels of NKBA Certification for designers: Associate Kitchen & Bath Designer (AKBD®), Certified Kitchen Designer (CKD®) or Certified Bath Designer (CBD®), and Certified Master Kitchen & Bath Designer (CMKBD®). In addition, the NKBA offers education and testing to enable an experienced installer to become a Certified Kitchen & Bath Installer (CKBI®).
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