In Seclusion Función Principal: Spa Junto al Río by Zehua Zhang

In Seclusion Función Principal: Spa Junto al Río by Zehua Zhang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award de Bronce in Diseño de Arquitectura, Edificación y Estructuras Competition Category.

BronceArquitectura· 2026

In Seclusion Función Principal: Spa Junto al Río

by Zehua Zhang

Client: Zehua Zhang

A' Design Award de Bronce Winner in Arquitectura Category

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

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The Design

About In Seclusion Función Principal: Spa Junto al Río

Texto del Libro: El proyecto es un spa junto al río en Portugal. El diseño se integra en un paisaje natural existente y emplea volúmenes arquitectónicos fluidos para reducir el impacto visual. Se introducen grandes superficies acristaladas para permitir las vistas entre los espacios interiores y el entorno circundante. En todo el interior se aplican acabados de madera y suelos de piedra. El programa incluye una sauna, un jacuzzi y un baño turco, dispuestos para formar una secuencia de espacios de baño. La distribución organiza estas funciones en relación con el río y el terreno circundante.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Bronce

In Seclusion Función Principal: Spa Junto al Río ha ganado el A' Design Award de Bronce, un reconocimiento sumamente prestigioso concedido a diseños sobresalientes que se distinguen por su creatividad, ingenio y astucia. Los ganadores de Bronce son artefactos ampliamente hábiles y sorprendentemente creativos que acreditan la vasta experiencia, imaginación e ingeniosidad de sus diseñadores. Se espera que In Seclusion Función Principal: Spa Junto al Río sea un objeto muy apreciado, admirado y querido, notablemente profesional e innovador. Este diseño ganador del A' Design Award de Bronce incorpora las mejores prácticas del arte, la ciencia, el diseño y la tecnología, y es excelente por su atención al detalle. In Seclusion Función Principal: Spa Junto al Río satisface espléndidamente las necesidades, toca los deseos, encanta los sentimientos y atrae la curiosidad.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

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

Unique Properties: This is a riverside spa design in Portugal that embodies serene seclusion. It harmonizes fully with its historic and natural surroundings, using low-profile architecture, expansive glass, timber interiors, and stone flooring to blur indoor and outdoor boundaries. Its strengths lie in immersive nature integration, warm materiality, and a layout combining sauna, jacuzzi, and Turkish bath, offering guests a profound, multi-sensory retreat deeply connected to the landscape.
Dimensions & Packaging: Single-story building with overall dimensions of 20 meters in width, 8 meters in depth, and 8 meters in height.
Tags: Landscape architecture, leisure spa, wellness facilities, low-impact design, indoor-outdoor connection, integration with nature, immersive experience
Production Technology: The spa was designed through careful site analysis, integrating gently with the terrain. Timber, beige stone, and low-iron glass were chosen for warmth, durability, and transparency. The process combined ecological sensitivity, modular planning for sauna, jacuzzi, and Turkish bath, and precise glazing to enhance visual connections with nature, creating a harmonious, immersive, and sustainable environment.
Design Challenge: The hardest part was balancing serenity with practicality—preserving the historic watermill while adding modern spa facilities. Internally, respecting the site’s history and ecology challenged design choices. Externally, strict codes, structural limits, and material availability required adaptation. Technology and environmental analysis guided solutions, ensuring minimal impact while creating a harmonious, immersive experience
Research: Type of research: design-focused experiential study. Research objectives: explore how architecture can promote deep relaxation and enhance the human-nature connection. Methodology: combining site analysis, material studies, spatial simulations, and daylight analysis. Data collection: through site photos, topographic drawings, and building equipment specifications. Research tools: cad models, 3d visualizations, material samples, and environmental sensors monitoring light, sound, and water interaction.
Inspiration: The inspiration came from the serene beauty of the Vez River and the timeless presence of the old watermill. I was drawn to creating a space that allows people to reconnect with nature and themselves, offering quietude without isolation. My motive was to design a spa that flows with the landscape, using natural materials and transparent architecture to blur boundaries, fostering a profound, immersive experience of calm, reflection, and harmony with the environment.
Project Duration: The project started in February 2025 and finished in June 2025
Operation Flow: The spa functions through immersive spatial design: guests move through curated areas—pool, sauna, jacuzzi, Turkish bath—experiencing gentle sensory transitions. Interaction arises from visual and tactile engagement with natural materials, light, and water. Key moments occur at floor-to-ceiling glazing, pool edges, and steam-filled interiors. By harmonizing with nature, it deepens relaxation, enhances well-being, and fosters a seamless, restorative human-nature connection.
Team Members: Zehua Zhang