In Seclusion Fungsi Utama: Spa Tepi Sungai by Zehua Zhang

In Seclusion Fungsi Utama: Spa Tepi Sungai by Zehua Zhang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Gangsa in Reka Bentuk Seni Bina, Bangunan dan Struktur Competition Category.

GangsaSeni Bina· 2026

In Seclusion Fungsi Utama: Spa Tepi Sungai

by Zehua Zhang

Client: Zehua Zhang

A' Design Award Gangsa Winner in Seni Bina Category

6,477
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #180620

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About In Seclusion Fungsi Utama: Spa Tepi Sungai

Teks Buku: Projek ini ialah sebuah spa tepi sungai di Portugal. Reka bentuk ini terletak dalam landskap semula jadi yang sedia ada dan menggunakan kelompok seni bina yang lancar untuk mengurangkan kesan visual. Kawasan kaca yang luas diperkenalkan bagi membolehkan pemandangan antara ruang dalaman dengan persekitaran sekeliling. Kemasan kayu dan lantai batu digunakan di seluruh ruang dalaman. Programnya termasuk sebuah sauna, jakuzi, dan tempat mandi Turki, yang disusun untuk membentuk satu rangkaian ruang mandian. Susun aturnya mengatur fungsi-fungsi ini berdasarkan kedudukan sungai dan rupa bumi sekeliling.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Gangsa

In Seclusion Fungsi Utama: Spa Tepi Sungai ialah pemenang A' Design Award Gangsa, pengiktirafan yang amat berprestij yang dianugerahkan kepada reka bentuk cemerlang yang dicirikan oleh kreativiti, kecerdikan dan ketajaman fikiran. Pemenang Gangsa ialah artifak yang amat mahir dan sangat kreatif yang membuktikan pengalaman luas, imaginasi dan akal budi pereka bentuknya. In Seclusion Fungsi Utama: Spa Tepi Sungai diharapkan menjadi objek yang sangat dihargai, dikagumi dan disayangi, sangat profesional dan inovatif. Reka bentuk pemenang A' Design Award Gangsa ini merangkumi amalan terbaik dalam seni, sains, reka bentuk dan teknologi, dan cemerlang dalam perhatiannya terhadap butiran. In Seclusion Fungsi Utama: Spa Tepi Sungai memenuhi keperluan dengan indah, menyentuh keinginan, memikat perasaan dan menarik rasa ingin tahu.

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