design for leisure

The word sauna is of Finnish origin. It is a mode of sweat bathing which requires frequent cooling off. The Finnish, however, did not invent this pleasant form of bathing. Sweat bathing has been popular in cultures around the world for centuries due, among other reasons, to the fact that far less water is required, compared to a traditional bath. In the 20th century, the sauna gained wider notoriety from the success of Finnish athletes in the 1924 Summer Olympic Games. Despite the great heat during those games, Finnish athletes incorporated sauna bathing as part of their training regimen and did remarkably well in the distance running events. Initially a source of fascination for athletes, the sauna has quickly gained a foothold in public and private gyms, fitness studios, wellness centers, and even clinics and spa centers. Athletes saw sauna bathing as a way to recover and promote regeneration, but everyone can benefit from the stabilizing effects on their health. Sauna bathing is characterized by dry heat, followed by cooling off, and repeated in this cycle two or three times during a session. The dry air and high temperatures in a sauna cabin distinguish the sauna remarkably from other forms of warm air bathing, such as steam rooms. A hybrid of the sauna that has developed with modern technology is a form of bathing known as the Sanarium™, also referred to as the soft sauna or bio sauna. The Sanarium™ offers many forms of bathing to suit personal taste. The Sanarium™ transforms one sauna into 5 different types of sauna bath by offering climates such as a: classical traditional sauna, warm air bath, tropical bath, aroma bath, or soft steam bath. The Sanarium™ automatically adjusts the humidity and temperature for each of these different forms of bathing through a preset menu in the sauna control. Many people find the mild heat or humid environments more pleasant than a dry hot sauna. For people with dry skin or membrane problems in particular, the climate options of

When built using modern methods and technology as discussed in our recent article, Hydrothermal areas in wet spa facilities can involve a significant investment. This investment can provide equally significant returns; however, there are barriers to overcome with owners and operators who traditionally view these facilities as a free-use amenity type of model. We would like to offer an alternative approach to how wet spa areas can become revenue generating centers using an example based on a destination type of hydrothermal spa facility, with male and female gender segregated areas that include: Sauna, Steam room, Laconium, Igloo or ice chamber, Foot spa, Cool-down showers, Hydrotherapy pool or Relaxation lounge. This type of facility size allows 2,500 square feet per gender, 5,000 square feet total, including circulation space, but excluding locker rooms or treatment areas. How much would a facility like this cost? Using a model of 5,000 square feet, designed and installed, with all technology and the hydrothermal features built, ready to receive finishes, consider the following sums: ◾5,000 sq ft @ $400/sq ft = $2,000,000.00 ◾18,500 sq ft of finishes @ $50/sq ft = $1,000,000.00 ◾Grand Total = $3,000,000 These figures exclude any building services or infrastructure which would be necessary to support a space, whatever it is used for. How is this investment returned? 2,500 square feet of gender-segregated space will easily support 60 guests at any one time. Assume that 20 men and 20 women would be visiting the hydrothermal areas of the spa every 4 hours of a 12 hour operating day. The average charge for using such facilities at a luxury property could be $55, but for the purpose of this exercise we are going to work on a lesser model with a $40 facility fee. ◾20 men + 20 women = 40 guests x $40 = $1,600 ◾Guest turnover @ 3 times a day x $1,600 = $4,800 a day ◾Allowing 360 days a year in operation = $1,728,000 income per year ◾Payback period of 21 months! What about overheads?