triangulated finnish sauna with ribbed polycarbonates is inspired by japanese teahouse

japanese architect taichi kuma designed ‘sankaku sauna’ adjacent to a mountainside villa in japan. the sauna culture is booming in japan with well-conceived interiors. the concept is inspired by traditional japanese tea houses consisting of two entrances for host and guests.

all images by kaoru yamada

being located in a green area, taichi kuma took into consideration the relationship with nature and used materials that would expose the surroundings. the sauna has a minimal triangular shape with a roof and includes a stove and two benches. the space has 2 doors; one next to the stove for the host to water the stones and the other for guests to go out from sauna smoothly and have a shower outside.

taichi kuma covered the walls and the roof with transparent polycarbonates. he chose a material so transparent so that the users can enjoy the surrounding nature views. depending on the season, the colors of the view from inside are changing from green to snow white. a shower is placed right outside the sauna to cool down the body after the heat. it is paired with a bench for the user to deeply relax and feel mindfulness which is called ‘totonou’ in japanese. this simple sauna is a tool to dive into nature both physically and mentally. private saunas in nature may become important for modern human beings especially in the times of covid-19.

project info:

name: sankaku sauna

designer: taichi kuma

location: japan

photography:kaoru yamada

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: yasmina karam | designboom