Ondsauna Sauna by Taro Shimokawa is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award in Brons in Argitektuur-, Gebou- en Struktuurontwerp Competition Category.

BronsArgitektuur· 2025

Ondsauna Sauna

by Taro Shimokawa

Client: Ondpark

A' Design Award in Brons Winner in Argitektuur Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #165443

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Ondsauna Sauna

Ondsauna is 'n saunagebou geplaas binne 'n woud. Vertikale buitemure is saamgegroepeer rondom die saunavertrek, wat die opwaartse groei van bome weerklink. 'n Spiraalvormige pad lei na 'n ontspanningsruimte op die dak. Die ingang is 250 millimeter bo grondvlak geleë, die koue-plonsdek op 1000 millimeter en die dak op 3250 millimeter, sodat die beweging van sauna na koue plons na oop lug vertikaal is. 'n Onreëlmatige poligonale plan en stomphoekige banke lei siglyne en laat besoekers hul vlak van interaksie kies.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award in Brons

Ondsauna Sauna is 'n wenner van die A' Design Award in Brons, 'n hoogs prestigieuse erkenning wat toegeken word aan uitstaande ontwerpe wat gekenmerk word deur kreatiwiteit, vindingrykheid en skerpsinnigheid. Wenners in Brons is ruimskoots vaardige en opvallend kreatiewe artefakte wat die groot ervaring, verbeelding en vindingrykheid van hul ontwerpers bevestig. Daar word verwag dat Ondsauna Sauna 'n hoog aangeskrewe, bewonderde en gekoesterde voorwerp is wat merkwaardig professioneel en innoverend is. Hierdie ontwerp wat die A' Design Award in Brons gewen het, inkorporeer die beste praktyke in kuns, wetenskap, ontwerp en tegnologie en is uitstekend vanweë sy aandag aan detail. Ondsauna Sauna bevredig behoeftes pragtig, raak aan begeertes, bekoor gevoelens en spreek die nuuskierigheid aan.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Trees grow endlessly upward, a concept reflected in the vertical exterior walls clustered around the sauna room. A spiraling path leads upward to a rooftop relaxation space, mirroring the building's form. The sauna entrance is at GL+250, the cold plunge deck at GL+1000, and the rooftop at GL+3250, so the transition from sauna to cold plunge to open air follows a vertical flow. Viewing the forest at treetop height allows one to share in its growth rhythm.
Dimensions & Packaging: The irregular plan was chosen to allow the passage and expansion of the line of sight and to adjust the degree of intimacy, which was rationally solved by the 150mm CLT floor slab. The elimination of beams has eliminated non-perpendicular joints in the structure, contributing to labor savings in site work. The rational walls of the scale module are discretely assembled and the CLT slab connects them. This structural form itself can be described as a sociopetal structure.
Production Technology: An irregular polygonal floor plan guides sightlines, creating varied scenic views. Research shows conversations are twice as frequent at 90 degrees versus side-by-side. Here, strangers sit together, so we chose obtuse-angled benches to balance interaction and privacy, encouraging conversation without intrusion. Varied seating allows for different levels of interaction, while the overall arrangement around a fire fosters a shared experience.
Inspiration: In a sauna, strangers sit nearly naked in close proximity, creating potential intimacy. Yet in Japan, public saunas haven’t fostered this sense of community. By aligning with Japan’s unique sense of closeness, we aim to create a sociopetal space, encouraging shared understanding without forced intimacy. “Non-intrusive” walls balance connection and separation; their verticality resonates with the forest, while their spacing draws nature in and modulates closeness among neighbors.

Read the Press Release