Architects:Oslo Works

Area:16m²

Year:2024

Photographs:Marte Garmann

Lead Architects:Francis Brekke

Architects:Adam John Williams, Elin Schnipper, Janancija Arulanantham

Program / Use / Building Function:Communal Sauna

Country:Norway

Text description provided by the architects. This communal sauna by Oslo Works is breaking new ground for cool cabins with a warm purpose.

A sauna is best enjoyed together. This may be the reason why sauna community culture has been rising in Scandinavia over the last few years. People are putting their forces together to finance, build, and share hothouses all along the shore. The neighborhood community on the Nesodden peninsula, a short ferry ride from the Norwegian capital, Oslo, wanted to increase their already growing number of common saunas.  They wanted an eco-friendly and social sauna with a breathtaking view. In this case, Oslo Works has designed a Hotspot that takes care of that.

Constructing a sauna has very few rules: it needs to be fairly insulated to heat up without using too much energy. It needs access to cooling water (or snow), and it needs a heating device. The rest is up to imagination and building permits.

Oslo Works wanted to minimize the climate footprint, as well as the visual dominance and maintenance requirements. Hence, the cabin was constructed of massive wood modules and clad with burnt and oiled ore pine shingles. The modules could easily be transported to the not-so-accessible lot on the edge of the smooth seaside rock.

This version of the sauna concept consists of two parts, divided by an open narrow passage towards the water and the bathing ladder. To the right, is a section with two small changing rooms and storage for necessities. To the left, is a hot room with a wood-fired oven, a rounded, socially inviting back wall, and a panoramic window towards the big city skyline.

Hotspot is a basic module that can be extended with several add-ons, such as a diving board, shower, roof terrace, solar cell panels or connected to other Hotspots in a row.  The cold Scandinavian weather conditions make the sauna experience on the Norwegian shore, of course optional.

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Project location

Address:Nesodden, Norway