In Seclusion Ọrụ Bụ Isi: Spa N'akụkụ Osimiri by Zehua Zhang

In Seclusion Ọrụ Bụ Isi: Spa N'akụkụ Osimiri by Zehua Zhang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Bronz in Nhazi Ụlọ Owu, Ụlọ na Ihe Owuwu Competition Category.

BronzỤlọ Owu· 2026

In Seclusion Ọrụ Bụ Isi: Spa N'akụkụ Osimiri

by Zehua Zhang

Client: Zehua Zhang

Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Bronz Winner in Ụlọ Owu Category

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The Design

About In Seclusion Ọrụ Bụ Isi: Spa N'akụkụ Osimiri

Ederede Akwụkwọ: Ọrụ a bụ spa n'akụkụ osimiri na Portugal. E hiwere atụmatụ a n'ime ala mara mma dị adị ma jiri ụdị ihe owuwu ụlọ na-asọ asọ belata mmetụta a na-ahụ anya. E webatara nnukwu mpaghara enyo iko iji nye ohere ile anya n'etiti oghere ime ụlọ na gburugburu ebe obibi. A na-etinye ihe ndozi osisi na ala nkume na ime ụlọ niile. Mmemme a gụnyere sauna, jacuzzi, na ụlọ ịsa ahụ Turkish, ndị a haziri iji mepụta usoro nke oghere ịsa ahụ. Ndokwa a na-ahazi ọrụ ndị a n'ụzọ metụtara osimiri na ala gburugburu.

The Recognition

About the Ihe Nrite A' Design Award nke Bronz

In Seclusion Ọrụ Bụ Isi: Spa N'akụkụ Osimiri meriri A' Design Award nke Bronz, nnabata dị oke ugwu e nyere design ndị pụtara ìhè nke a ma ama maka nzụlite ihe, ọgụgụ isi na nghọta. Ndị meriri na Bronz bụ ihe e mere nke ndị nwere nka nke ukwuu ma dị mma n'imepụta nke na-egosi ahụmahụ buru ibu, echiche na ọgụgụ isi nke ndị designer ha. A na-atụ anya na In Seclusion Ọrụ Bụ Isi: Spa N'akụkụ Osimiri ga-abụ ihe a na-asọpụrụ nke ukwuu, a na-eto na a hụrụ n'anya, nke dị oke ọrụ ma dị ọhụrụ. Design a meriri A' Design Award nke Bronz na-agụnye ụzọ kacha mma n'ime nka, sayensị, design na teknụzụ, ma dị mma nke ukwuu maka nlebara anya ya n'obere ihe. In Seclusion Ọrụ Bụ Isi: Spa N'akụkụ Osimiri na-emezu mkpa nke ọma, na-emetụ ọchịchọ aka, na-adọrọ mmetụta obi ma na-adọta ọchịchọ ịmara.

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