Sauna and Guesthouse
SAUNA AND GUESTHOUSE
Mer Architects
ARCHITECTS
Mer Architects
DESIGN TEAM
Julia Hertell & Samuli Woolston
YEAR
2018
LOCATION
Espoo, Finland
CATEGORY
Cabins & Lodges
Text description provided by architect.
This sauna and guesthouse is located on the northern shore of a rocky island, in the Espoo archipelago.
The small building is divided into two parts sitting under one large roof; the steam room (the sauna) and the guest room, which also serves as a dressing room.
The site has a variety of existing wooden buildings, the untreated facades of which have turned gray with age.
The aim of the design was to not visually add another gray hut, but blend in more with the pine and spruce vegetation on the shore and to have its own identity.
The building is orientated according to the site topography, the direction of the evening sun and the views towards the sea.
The cedar clad sauna room has a view overlooking the boat lane while it also enjoys the evening sun through its curved window.
Thanks to a simple cut in the volume the guest room also has a view towards the sunset. The building is constructed entirely with cross laminated timber.
The facades are clad with spruce and painted with traditional black ”Falu” paint, and the galvanized roof will also be painted dark in a few years’ time.
