The Wood-Fired Sauna

The Brief

This client's day starts with a swim and ends in the sauna. He wanted one at home, easily reached from the house, that would fit that rhythm.

The only available space was a narrow strip down the dead side of the house, hemmed in by a large retaining wall. While the site had power for small loads like lighting, it couldn't support an electric sauna heater.

The answer to this problem also suited the client himself. He loves lighting fires and chopping wood, so a wood-fired heater was the natural choice. It runs without mains power, and it turns heating the sauna into part of the ritual.

The site set most of the rules before any work began. Beyond the tight footprint and the retaining wall, the property sits in a bushfire-prone area rated BAL-12.5, so the build had to be fully compliant.

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‍The Materials

‍The walls are lined in thermo-treated spruce. Its knots give the room a natural character that suits a wood-fired sauna, far from the uniform look of a showroom. The benches are thermo-treated aspen.  

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The Design Details

‍The sauna took shape as a long, slender room to suit the space. A wood-fired heater needs more clearance than an electric one, and that shaped the layout. An L-shaped bench, which would normally be a natural choice for a room this size, wasn't possible without compromising the heater's clearances, so the bench design was worked around it.

• Wood-fire heater. Wood-fired heat is the oldest form of sauna, and many people argue it's still the best. The heat is soft and deep, and the crackle of the fire becomes part of the experience. The Harvia Legend 150 sits on a dedicated hearth. A stone cage around the flue holds extra rocks, adding thermal mass so the room holds its heat for longer.

• Custom matching wood store. What began as a practical need became a feature of the build. Outside the sauna, we built a custom storage shelf that matches the sauna itself, with separate spaces for logs and kindling and a shelf for sauna oils and the bucket. Everything for the ritual has its own place, from splitting the wood to throwing the first löyly.

• Dimmable continuous lighting. Dimmable LED lighting beneath them keeps the room low and warm.

• Seamless design. As is the Otso signature, there's no beading needed. The corners are finished with STP corner stops, and the joins are precise enough to need nothing else.

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‍The result

‍The client loved it from the first session, and uses it even more than he expected to. A morning swim, an evening fire, and a sauna that feels made for the way he lives.

As for aftercare, a wood-fired sauna asks a little more of its owner than an electric one. The heater needs regular maintenance, and the chimney needs sweeping to keep the flue clear and the fire drawing well. With that care, this sauna will keep performing for many years.

Considering a sauna for your home? Get in touch for a free quote.