Summer sauna, part II

Remember this sketch? After many,many hours of work and some tweaking of the plans, our summer sauna is now up and running. With its grey-brown exterior and limited footprint, it is barely noticeable between the cedar trees. White aspen panelling covers the interior walls and makes the space bright and inviting. Not to mention the wonderful scent it gives off!

The project is not completed yet, but so far it's been a truly local affair; kiln-dried white aspen from Quality Hardwoods in Powassan, with North Bay's Thibault & Son Lumber Mill Wood Workshop creating the custom tongue-and-groove profile for the boards, and Fenno Manufacturing in Markham supplying the stove. Next is to finish the change room, complete the exterior and create a green roof. Stay tuned for part III!

Summer sauna taking shape

Our long-awaited sauna is complete - at least on paper! With careful preparation and lots of work, it will hopefully be ready by the end of the summer. Tucked away between pine trees and with a prime view of the lake, it will be a desired place for late summer evenings. Designing a sauna is a bit like designing the interior of a boat; a lot of function has to fit into a limited space. Challenging! And while the actual sauna leaves little room for decorative embellishments, the adjacent change room is more flexible in this regard. This, of course, triggers the imagination of a design enthusiast like myself; I can already envision the room's white-washed walls, blue towels neatly piled up on a shelf, and little lantern in the window, telling visitors that the heat is on...

Stay tuned for pictures and stories as the building takes shape!