In Seclusion Asa Fiarovana: Spa amoron'ny renirano by Zehua Zhang

In Seclusion Asa Fiarovana: Spa amoron'ny renirano by Zehua Zhang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Varahina in Famolavolana Maritrano, Trano ary Rafitra Competition Category.

VarahinaMaritrano· 2026

In Seclusion Asa Fiarovana: Spa amoron'ny renirano

by Zehua Zhang

Client: Zehua Zhang

A' Design Award Varahina Winner in Maritrano Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #180620

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About In Seclusion Asa Fiarovana: Spa amoron'ny renirano

Lahatsoratra: Tetikasa spa iray amoron'ny renirano any Portugal io. Napetraka ao anatin'ny tontolo voajanahary efa misy ny famolavolana ary mampiasa volana arsitektiora mikoriana mba hampihenana ny fiantraikany amin'ny maso. Misy faritra fitaratra lehibe nampidirina mba hamela ny fahitana eo anelanelan'ny toerana anatiny sy ny tontolo manodidina. Famitana hazo sy gorodona vato no ampiharina manerana ny atiny. Ahitana sauna, jacuzzi, ary fandroana Tiorka ny fandaharana, voalamina mba hamorona filaharan'ny toeram-pandroana. Ny fandaminana dia mandrindra ireo asa ireo mifandraika amin'ny renirano sy ny tany manodidina.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Varahina

Nandresy ny A' Design Award Varahina ny famolavolana In Seclusion Asa Fiarovana: Spa amoron'ny renirano, fankasitrahana malaza be omena ny famolavolana miavaka izay mampiavaka ny fahaiza-mamorona, ny fahazotoana ary ny fahamaotinan-tsaina. Ny mpandresy Varahina dia zavatra vita tanana mahay dia mahay ary mamorona mivantana izay manamafy ny traikefa be dia be, ny sarintsaina ary ny fahaizan-kafoy an'ny mpamolavola azy. Andrasana ho zavatra ankasitrahana be, ankafizina ary tiana, mahay amin'ny asa sady vaovao ny famolavolana In Seclusion Asa Fiarovana: Spa amoron'ny renirano. Ity famolavolana nandresy ny A' Design Award Varahina ity dia mitahiry ny fomba fanao tsara indrindra amin'ny zavakanto, ny siansa, ny famolavolana ary ny teknolojia, ary tsara indrindra amin'ny fitandremana ny antsipirihany. Ny famolavolana In Seclusion Asa Fiarovana: Spa amoron'ny renirano dia mahafa-po ny filana tsara, mikasika ny faniriana, mahasarika ny fihetseham-po ary misarika ny fahalianana.

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