Ondsauna Sauna by Taro Shimokawa is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Tuzo ya Shaba ya A' Design Award in Usanifu wa Majengo, Ujenzi na Miundo Competition Category.

ShabaUsanifu wa Majengo· 2025

Ondsauna Sauna

by Taro Shimokawa

Client: Ondpark

Tuzo ya Shaba ya A' Design Award Winner in Usanifu wa Majengo Category

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Colors

The Design

About Ondsauna Sauna

Ondsauna ni jengo la sauna lililowekwa ndani ya msitu. Kuta za nje zilizowekwa wima zimekusanyika kuzunguka chumba cha sauna, zikirejea ukuaji wa miti kwenda juu. Njia yenye mzunguko wa spiral inaelekea kwenye eneo la kupumzika lililopo darini. Mlango wa kuingilia upo milimita 250 juu ya usawa wa ardhi, sakafu ya kuzamisha mwili katika maji ya baridi ipo kwenye milimita 1000, na eneo la darini kwenye milimita 3250, hivyo mwendo kutoka sauna kwenda eneo la maji baridi hadi hewa ya wazi ni wa wima. Muundo wa ramani usio na umbo la kawaida (polygonal) pamoja na viti vilivyowekwa kwa pembe butu vinaelekeza mtazamo na kuwapa wageni fursa ya kuchagua kiwango cha ushirikiano wao na mazingira.

The Recognition

About the Tuzo ya Shaba ya A' Design Award

Ondsauna Sauna ni mshindi wa Tuzo ya Shaba ya A' Design Award, utambuzi wenye heshima kubwa unaotolewa kwa miundo bora inayotofautishwa kwa ubunifu, ustadi na busara. Washindi wa Shaba ni kazi za ufundi mwingi na bunifu ya kushangaza zinazothibitisha uzoefu mpana, mawazo na ustadi wa wabunifu wao. Ondsauna Sauna inatarajiwa kuwa kitu kinachothaminiwa sana, kupendwa na kuenziwa, ambacho ni cha kitaalamu na bunifu kwa kiasi kikubwa. Muundo huu ulioshinda Tuzo ya Shaba ya A' Design Award unajumuisha mbinu bora katika sanaa, sayansi, usanifu na teknolojia, na ni bora kwa umakini wake kwa undani. Ondsauna Sauna hutosheleza mahitaji kwa uzuri, hugusa hamu, huvutia hisia na kuvutia udadisi.

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