Community Sauna

This pond-side sauna features site milled Douglas Fir for the timber frame, infill framing, decking and siding. It sits on a stone pier foundation, eliminating the use of any concrete. The insulation is llama wool from a local farm and the finished interior is local incense cedar milled from a large tree brought down by an ice storm.

The design for this is sauna is based on the Finnish criteria for higher benches and an increased volume of fresh air moving through the space, which allows for a healthier and more enjoyable sauna bathing experience.

In preparation for this build, the nearby pond was expanded both in depth and square footage. A variety of native upland and wetland grass and sedge species were planted in the disturbed areas from excavation and construction, as well as a number of native shrubs including willows, dogwoods and others.

This project encapsulates our commitment to keeping projects as natural as possible, limiting waste and embodied energy in our material choices and taking advantage of significant site disturbance as an opportunity for native habitat restoration.