US architects launch floating sauna to promote wellness in Seattle
by Kim Megson | 12 Nov 2015
Seattle-based architects goCstudio have built and launched a floating sauna in Seattle, providing locals with a new perspective of their waterfront city.
The designers wanted to create a tranquil refuge which could tour Seattle’s many lakes. Designs were drawn up in January 2014 and a successful Kickstarter campaign raised over US$40,000 to keep the project afloat. Construction was completed in Q3 this year, and the vessel – named the wa_sauna – has now been tested and registered to sail.
The sauna is transported from lake to lake by its operators and is propelled through the water by an electric trolling motor. Heat is provided by a wood burning stove.
Waterside spas and saunas are currently all the rage. Architect Anne Holtrop has designed an artificial Floating Gardens Spa to be located on a lake in Amsterdam, while German studio Raumlabor have built a 20-seater sauna out of recycled materials in Gothenburg harbour.
Meanwhile, Italian designer Michele Puzzolante has unveiled a solar-powered floating resort, which will contain a five-star, 54-bedroom luxury hotel, and Serbia-based Salt & Water have embraced a similar concepton a smaller-scale.
The sauna is propelled by a motor and heated by a wood-burning stove Credit: goCstudio
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FEATURE: Spa – Floating away
Seattle-based architects goCstudio have built and launched a floating sauna in Seattle, providing locals with a new perspective of their waterfront city. The designers wanted to create a tranquil refuge which could tour Seattle’s many lakes. Designs were drawn up in January 2014 and a successful Kickstarter campaign raised over US$40,000 to keep the project afloat. Construction was completed in Q3 this year, and the vessel – named the wa_sauna
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London Museum reveals 2026 opening date for new Smithfield home
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by Liz Terry | 04 Jun 2026
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by Liz Terry | 04 Jun 2026
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while remaining actively involved with the company. Ownership has transferred to president Carmel Lewis, chief creative officer Christian Lachel and vice presidents of story and creative, Brad Shelton and Matthew Solari. The move formalises a leadership structure that the company says has been operating in
Palazzo di Varignana launches family wellbeing and longevity retreat in Emilia Romagna
by Helen Andrews | 22 Jun 2026
Palazzo di Varignana, in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, has created a new tailored health programme designed specifically for families. Families with young children can visit the 650-hectare estate, located near Bologna, to experience a retreat designed by the resort’s scientific director, Dr Annamaria Acquaviva. A dietitian and expert in mindfulness and longevity science, Acquaviva has created the programme to help children and teenagers build healthy and lasting habits.
Anasa Wellness and Spa debuts at Patmos Aktis as it joins Marriott
by Helen Andrews | 22 Jun 2026
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by Kath Hudson | 22 Jun 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 03 Jun 2026
Lithuanian care operator Addere Care has launched a “wellness care hospital” in Vilnius. It's the company’s second Lithuanian site, following a hospital in Trakai, but the first to offer professional medical care in a spa resort environment. The new 4,400sq m facility has been developed within a reconstructed former hotel. It features 160 rooms and a day care centre that can accommodate up to 12 patients at a time. The
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A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
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All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
by Helen Andrews | 28 May 2026
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing. Van Phu Real Estate Development JSC owns the property, which is set along the Son River in the UNESCO-listed landscape of Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park. The site borders the world’s largest cave system by volume (38.5 million cubic metres), the Son
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