News Treehugger Voices WWOO Outdoor Kitchen Is Truly a Wow! By Lloyd Alter Lloyd Alter Design Editor University of Toronto Lloyd Alter is Design Editor for Treehugger and teaches Sustainable Design at Ryerson University in Toronto. Learn about our editorial process Updated October 11, 2018 Promo image. WWOO News Environment Business & Policy Science Animals Home & Design Current Events Treehugger Voices News Archive WWOO/Promo image I have mixed feelings about outdoor kitchens. A hundred years ago, lots of people had them, since a stove took forever to heat up and cool and it could make the entire house unbearable. With gas and electric stoves this was no longer an issue, and once air conditioning came along, you could just buy electricity to make it go away. On the other hand, most of the ones you see in the magazines are over the top ridiculous, with expensive stainless appliances that probably cost more than the inside kitchen. Almost everyone I have seen reeks of excess. They are usually "expensive, poorly designed and require a lot of maintenance." WWOO/Promo image But in the Netherlands, Piet Jan van den Kommer has designed the WWOO, and takes a different approach. The kitchens are made of concrete and are almost maintenance free, they are modular so that you can get as much or as little as you need. (the model set up for the website is probably more than most need) WWOO/Promo image Piet Jan prefers to work with pure, natural materials like wood, leather, steel and concrete. One of his main concerns is that the designs are adapted for real life. Piet Jan believes in products that you can use intensively without compromising their appearance, for example. Personalization is another of Piet Jan’s foremost concerns, and WWOO has developed designs that can be modified to suit everyone’s needs and preferences. Compared to the North American outdoor kitchens, the prices seem almost reasonable, with a six foot high wall plus counter and shelf, five feet wide, starting at 900 Euros. WWOO/Promo image What I really like is how they have adapted the whole design for outside cooking, using wood and a big green egg, rather than trying to create outside versions of inside appliances. It just looks outdoors. WWOO kitchens are made up of separate components. This means you can incorporate your own ideas and inspiration when designing your WWOO kitchen. It could be 2 meters high or 1.40 meters. You can make the kitchen as long as your want, add as many WWOO extras as you want and create a well-equipped outdoor kitchen, an outdoor bathroom or a handy outdoor work area. Use your WWOO to create separate areas in your garden, install it next to a terrace or swimming pool to create a relaxing sheltered area. WWOO/Promo image It is still an outdoor kitchen for the 1%, but there are a lot of nice ideas here. More at WWOO Nahb Builders Show/Promo image And in case you missed it, here is the typical American version.