Set in the residential area of Tomtebo (Umeå, Sweden), the Forest Sauna House is built using contemporary timber technology and 1,000-year-old Nordic building methods. The result is a cabin-like pavilion that blends in unobtrusively with the pastoral environment, inviting to contemplation.
The 6,460 sq ft pavilion is adjacent to a residence dating from the late 1800s, and was constructed to provide extra space for swimming, boats and storage. A series of modular spaces make up the structure, which can sleep up to 10 people in its bunk-style interior. Guests get access to a laundry room, two bedrooms with bathrooms, a dining-entertaining space, a four-chamber sauna, and a boathouse. The walls have rough-sawn surfaces, both outside and inside, where the wood has been treated with linseed oil for preservation, or painted in tar glazed colors. An exterior deck made of pine heartwood features built-in seats, allowing the inhabitants to relax and enjoy absorbing views of the surrounding pine & spruce forest and the nearby Baltic Sea. [via]
