Ondsauna Sauna by Taro Shimokawa is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Mphoto ya Bronze ya A' Design Award in Mapangidwe a Nyumba, Zomanga ndi Zomangidwa Competition Category.

BronzeZomangamanga· 2025

Ondsauna Sauna

by Taro Shimokawa

Client: Ondpark

Mphoto ya Bronze ya A' Design Award Winner in Zomangamanga Category

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Colors

The Design

About Ondsauna Sauna

Ondsauna ndi nyumba ya sauna yomangidwa mkati mwa nkhalango. Makoma owongoka akunja amasonkhana mozungulira chipinda cha sauna, mofanana ndi kukula kwa mitengo kupita mmwamba. Njira yozungulira ngati spiral imatsogolera ku malo opumira pamwamba pa denga. Khomo lolowera lili pamtunda wa 250 millimeters kuchokera pansi, deki la kusambira kozizira lili pa 1000 millimeters, ndipo denga lili pa 3250 millimeters, motero kuyenda kuchokera ku sauna kupita ku madzi ozizira kufika kunja kwa nyumba ndi kwa mwamba. Mapangidwe osasunthika a polygon komanso mabenchi a mangodya akuluakulu amatsogolera maonekedwe ndi kulola alendo kusankha momwe angathe kugwirizana ndi malowo.

The Recognition

About the Mphoto ya Bronze ya A' Design Award

Ondsauna Sauna ndi mmodzi mwa opambana a Mphoto ya Bronze ya A' Design Award, kuzindikirika kolemekezeka kwambiri komwe kumaperekedwa kwa mapangidwe abwino kwambiri omwe amaonekera ndi luso lolenga, kuchenjera ndi nzeru zakuthwa. Opambana a Bronze ndi zinthu zaluso kwambiri ndi zolenga modabwitsa zomwe zimatsimikizira zochitika zazikulu, kulingalira ndi kuchenjera kwa opanga awo. Ondsauna Sauna akuyembekezeka kukhala chinthu choyamikiridwa, chosirira ndi chokondedwa, chaukatswiri wapadera ndi chatsopano. Mapangidwe opambana Mphoto ya Bronze ya A' Design Award awa amaphatikiza machitidwe abwino kwambiri a luso, sayansi, kapangidwe ndi ukadaulo ndipo ndi abwino kwambiri chifukwa cha kusamala kwawo zazing'ono. Ondsauna Sauna amakwaniritsa zosowa mokongola, kukhudza zilakolako, kukopa mitima ndi kudzutsa chidwi.

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