In Seclusion Primary Function: Spa yo ku Nkombe y'Uruzi by Zehua Zhang

In Seclusion Primary Function: Spa yo ku Nkombe y'Uruzi by Zehua Zhang is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Buronze in Igishushanyo cy'Ubwubatsi Competition Category.

BuronzeUbwubatsi· 2026

In Seclusion Primary Function: Spa yo ku Nkombe y'Uruzi

by Zehua Zhang

Client: Zehua Zhang

Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Buronze Winner in Ubwubatsi Category

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Colors

The Design

About In Seclusion Primary Function: Spa yo ku Nkombe y'Uruzi

Book Text: Uyu mushinga ni spa iherereye ku nkombe y'uruzi muri Portugal. Igishushanyo cyashyizwe mu mbuga gakondo isanzweho kandi gikoresha ibice by'ubwubatsi byoroshye kugira ngo gigabanye ingaruka ku maso. Hashyizwemo ahantu hanini h'amadirishya y'ibirahuri kugira ngo hashobore kureba hagati y'imbere n'ibidukikije. Imirimo yo gusoza ikoze mu biti hamwe n'amabuye akubitse hasi byakoreshejwe mu mbere yose. Gahunda irimo sauna, jacuzzi, n'ubwogero bw'Abaturuki, byateguwe kugira ngo bigire urukurikirane rw'ahantu ho kwiyuhagira. Imiterere itunganya iyi mirimo ifitanye isano n'uruzi ndetse n'ubutaka bukikije.

The Recognition

About the Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Buronze

In Seclusion Primary Function: Spa yo ku Nkombe y'Uruzi ni uwegukanye Igihembo cya A' Design Award cya Buronze, ishimwe ry'agaciro gakomeye ritangwa ku bishushanyo by'indashyikirwa birangwa no guhanga, ubwenge n'ubushishozi. Abegukanye Buronze ni ibihangano bifite ubuhanga bwinshi kandi bihanga cyane, bishimangira uburambe, ubwenge n'ubushobozi bw'ababihanze. In Seclusion Primary Function: Spa yo ku Nkombe y'Uruzi biteganyijwe ko izaba ikintu cyubahwa, gishimwa kandi gikundwa, gifite ubunyamwuga n'udushya. Iki gishushanyo cyegukanye Buronze gikoresha uburyo bwiza mu buhanzi, ubumenyi, ubushushanyo n'ikoranabuhanga kandi kirarenze mu gutaha ku tuntu duto. In Seclusion Primary Function: Spa yo ku Nkombe y'Uruzi ishimisha ibyo dukeneye, ikora ku byifuzo byacu, itwara amarangamutima yacu kandi ikurura amatsiko yacu.

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