To fulfill all indoor air conditioning needs, the total approach of ventilation design should be used. This means that the ventilation system is designed based on target values of indoor air quality (IAQ) and the actual heat loads of the kitchen appliances. In addition, the effect of the general ventilation for the hood performance should be analyzed.

The total design approach allows designer to consider both IAQ and energy efficiency factors simultaneously for the chosen room air distribution system.

The kitchen layout design and time-dependent internal loads are specified through the understanding of a specific restaurant application and its food service process. The target levels for IAQ and ventilation system performance are also to be defined at an early stage of the design. Local ventilation can be accomplished with modern kitchen hoods equipped with the Capture Jet technology for maximum hood efficiency  

Finally, the kitchen air- conditioning design can be calculated taking into account the capture efficiency of the hoods as well as type of air distribution and loads from other internal and external sources. In the beginning of the kitchen design process, the designer defines kitchen type and process type as an input.

The space dimensioning includes room estimates for all functional areas, such as receiving, storage, preparation, cooking, and dishwashing, that is all areas required to produce the menu items. The space required for each functional area of the facility is dependent upon many factors. The factors involved include the number of meals to be prepared, the functions and tasks to be performed, the equipment requirements and the suitable space for traffic and movement.