The sauna remains Finland's most important contribution to world culture, after Nokia phones, the game AngryBirds and the Sibelius Symphony. Finland is one of the northernmost countries; it is not surprising that the inhabitants of this frosty country love to bask in hot rooms.
Southern peoples do not always correctly understand the attractiveness of the sauna. A real Finnish sauna has windows overlooking the beautiful landscape and contrast cooling in the lake, pool or shower. Finns can spend several hours in the sauna, drinking beer during breaks. This is a whole ritual, and not just a way to sweat and wash.
But not only Finns love the sauna. Many other nations also like to take a good steam bath. Saunas began to appear in the most unexpected places and in the most unexpected forms. The crazy Finnish trend has spread throughout the world. We present to your attention the most unusual saunas in the world.
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Bath structures
It's time to consider the different types of baths.
Made of brick
Brick baths began to be built relatively recently, but this building material quickly became popular for constructing a place for swimming and relaxing in a steam room in the country.
Firstly, brick is a durable material, and such a building will last a long time. Secondly, a brick building copes well with humidity, and most importantly, maintains temperature conditions.
From a log
Our photo gallery continues with beautiful log baths. Projects are different. Wood is a material that allows you to imagine. You can build a bathhouse with a veranda, a beautiful terrace, or make an unusual carved porch.
Log baths and steam rooms made of round timber are built turnkey according to established Russian traditions.
Timber
In Ancient Rus', bathhouses were built from wood. Therefore, timber baths have become a kind of synthesis of modern technologies and ancient Russian traditions.
This is a relatively new technology, but timber structures have become popular in construction.
From blocks
Another material that is often used to build a bathhouse. You can build a small 4x4 frame and cover the structure with various materials.
The advantage is that expanded clay blocks are a relatively inexpensive material. They do not rot from moisture, and fungus does not grow on them.
Frame
You can build such a bathhouse with your own hands using the simplest projects found on the Internet. Such buildings do not require a solid foundation, and such a small bathhouse can be built in one month.
Like most country baths, these are one-story structures that are light in weight and therefore do not shrink much.
Saunas made of timber and logs
Most often, these types of baths are either simplified to a log house, reminiscent of an old hut from a Russian fairy tale, or built on a grand scale in the most bizarre forms. The simplest would be a bathhouse made of timber, specially treated and profiled material with a cross-section of at least 150x150 mm. From such material you can build as complex and beautiful structures as you like, even for an apartment; they will all be strong and durable.
Buildings in the form of barrels, various figures or unusual piles look interesting.
Unusual design solutions of the structure force the paired rooms to be designed accordingly in the same unusual shapes and bends.
A bathhouse made from debarked and rounded logs, especially near the water, looks somehow more exotic and brighter. But in construction it is much more difficult, since it is formed using old techniques for connecting log houses. If you wish, you can always build something unusual with pronounced antique features. Against their background, a bathhouse made of timber looks somehow too ordinary and boring.
Unlike timber, a log vault requires a lot of additional protective and thermal insulation measures. But in design and expressiveness, the log version looks more picturesque, especially if it stands somewhere near the water, on the edge of a pine forest.
Baths of the most unusual shapes
They say that many modern famous architects were speechless when they saw which bathhouses were actively gaining popularity in Russia! These are barrel saunas, autobahns and saunas of the most unimaginable shapes. And, interestingly, in terms of functionality and durability, they are in no way inferior to ordinary stationary steam rooms. But they provide much more opportunities: go with a group to the river for a barbecue, and take a sauna with you, take your steam room to the forest, roll it to a new place, and even go on a trip with a sauna in the back!
And who said that such baths are ugly? Yes, for the strong half of humanity, which knows by sight every brand of car and even what insides each four-wheeled friend consists of, the autobahn is the crown of grace! The main thing is good strong walls and high-quality, fragrant lining inside, and that’s all! And the inscriptions and pictures of our own production only complete the image. Do you dream of having such a bathhouse and gathering all your friends? Read on the pages of our portal how to build such a miracle with your own hands!
Mirror sauna (USA)
The last unusual sauna on our list from most-beauty.ru is located in a deep forest near Saranas Gorge in New York State. It was developed by designer Dan Hisel, calling his creation “Cadyville.” One side of the sauna is adjacent to the rock, and the remaining external walls are covered with mirrors. The path leading to it is laid at such an angle so that the person walking is not reflected and does not notice his reflection. Finding a sauna in the forest becomes a real quest for tourists. You can stand next to her or look directly at her and not notice anything. Only the wooden frame of a small window seems to float in the air.
By the way, about the best places in the USA for tourism, read a very informative article on our website.
Interesting bathhouse projects
Interesting bathhouse projects, photos and videos of original designs. The influence of the location of the building on the appearance of the building. Dependence of appearance on the color scheme of the facade.
Thermal water has been one of the most important parts of human life from time immemorial. A modern approach to age-old traditions has received a completely new path of development and is embodied in a range of services to ensure a healthy lifestyle.
New trends were happily picked up by various companies of design developers. They are reflected in many unique projects of small baths and large bath complexes that fully satisfy the demand of the modern customer.
Avant-garde - the modern stage in architecture
One of the most unpredictable and interesting creations of bathhouse architecture is embodied in the direction of avant-garde construction. Avant-garde is the direct implementation of the designer’s creative vision and attitude, as well as the complete absence of frameworks that restrain the flight of his imagination.
For the customer, being the sole owner of a unique structure means making dreams come true and satisfying his own vanity. But this is a risky step, since the projects use a large space of open verandas and huge areas of glazing, and the bathhouses themselves are large, measuring 8 by 8 or 9 by 9 meters. In our climate, such buildings do not take root particularly well due to weather conditions and low winter temperatures. Therefore, today, bathhouse projects in the avant-garde style make up a small percentage of the total construction of bathhouses, and, as a rule, are more common in Europe than in the Russian Federation.
Exclusive project of a wooden spacious bathhouse with a swimming pool
Pools can vary greatly in size and shape. As a rule, customers prefer corner pools with high walls if the pool is located indoors, and standard rectangular pools without heating if it is located near the bathhouse under a canopy.
The universal design of a bathhouse with a built-in pool is very popular, since the costs of its construction are affordable, and secondly, the presence of an additional spacious room with wide windows originating from the edge of the pool has a stunning impression of boundless space and freedom of movement, even during the construction of medium-sized baths.
It's important to know that
Maintaining a pool costs the owner a pretty penny. This is due to the need to clean it with special antibacterial and antimicrobial agents to disinfect water. Such events are carried out only with the help of professionals.
Terrace attached to the bathhouse. Advantages and disadvantages
The most favorite place for gatherings among Russian people was Zavalinka. The terrace at the bathhouse performs exactly this function and additionally carries the load of a relaxation zone, where everyone can find something to their liking, if, of course, the area of the terrace allows it. At a minimum, owners of even the most modest terrace can afford to drink tea after taking bath procedures.
In recent developments, a large number of video materials have appeared with video projects of bathhouses of various configurations. Often there you can find an original solution for glazing a terrace based on the principle of a veranda. Here you can find a limitless flight of imagination from the designers - from a miniature terrace for drinking tea to a massive area in front of a steam room with a kebab grill and a barbecue oven, a dance floor for complete relaxation.
The construction of a terrace in itself does not require major capital investments. The most important aspect is its correct selection to suit the customer’s needs. Another fact that can be noted is that the separate construction of a paired compartment and a gazebo is an order of magnitude more expensive than an economical and rational attached terrace. Very often it is used as a transition from a paired room to the main house, located between two buildings. By installing electric floor heating and glazing, the transition into the house, especially in winter, becomes very comfortable. And if at the same time the bathhouse room is quite voluminous and its dimensions are within 6 by 8 meters, the proportional extension of the terrace looks amazing.
Sandunovskie Bani (Moscow, Russia)
Where: st. Neglinnaya, 14, pp. 3-7
The most famous Moscow baths were founded, oddly enough, by an actor: Sila Nikolaevich Sandunov served as a comedian at the Imperial Theater, but took his business project seriously. Having sold, as legend has it, a diamond necklace given by Catherine II to his wife for her wedding, he bought up plots on the banks of the Neglinka River, which had not yet been hidden in a pipe, and in 1808 opened stone baths. Subsequently, Sanduny changed owners many times, and by the end of the century it had become very dilapidated, so the next owners - millionaire Vera Firsanova and her husband, guards lieutenant Alexei Ganetsky - decided to build a new bathhouse in the same place.
The complex of buildings, built according to the design of the architect Freudenberg, is a masterpiece of eclecticism: through the pompous neo-baroque arch of the main facade, a “Moorish” arch in the courtyard is visible, and in the interiors with marble columns, stucco and gilding, you can find everything from Gothic to Art Nouveau. The clientele of Sanduny, which reopened in 1896, was as diverse as the interiors: ordinary people washed for 5 and 10 kopecks, and serious merchants rested in a luxurious department for fifty dollars per person: with a hairdresser, fireplace and separate offices for 5 and 10 rubles.
The system of “ranks” has been preserved to this day: in modern Sanduny there are five departments - three men’s and two women’s, but all the main beauties are the “Gothic” hall with wooden carvings, the “Turkish” one with ceiling paintings and stucco moldings, and the swimming pool with the Ionic colonnade, where Eisenstein filmed episode of “Battleship Potemkin”, are open only to visitors of the highest male category. However, the famous Sandunovo steam, about which Chaliapin said that it “frees” the voice, is still available to everyone - as well as the services of bathhouse attendants who work here in dynasties.
Cost of visit: 1500-1800 rubles
More details: www.sanduny.ru
Unusual bathhouse designs. The most unusual baths in the world
The most unusual baths in the world
The most unusual baths in the world are, of course, in the northern countries. After all, despite cultural and national differences, all of us, residents of the northern hemisphere, are united by a passion for steaming our frozen limbs in a hot bath. Today, a classic bathhouse no longer surprises anyone, and modern architects are trying to come up with unusual bathhouses in which people would be interested in steaming.
The most unusual baths in the world
This unusual bathhouse is called Sauna for all (“Sauna for everyone”) and it is located in the Czech city of Liberec. its builders did not need to build the foundation for the bathhouse with their own hands, because they came up with a more interesting design solution. This bathhouse stands on stilts in the middle of the river, not far from the city beach. In order to visit it, you do not need to pay, it is absolutely free. You just need to place an order with the architectural studio Mjolk Architects, which built it from a dozen wooden frames, spruce boards, plywood and aluminum.
This unusual bathhouse was designed and built by the architect Fritz Beblo. Today it is considered a historical monument of France.
An unusual bathhouse in a tram car is located in Milan. It can accommodate a company of ten people. This bathhouse has a plasma screen on which the history of Milanese trams is broadcast.
Unusual for everyone except Russian people, the black bathhouse is located on the shore of one of the Russian lakes. Its foundation is rock. It is heated by a stove.
Below are unusual mobile bathhouses on wheels.
This 17-meter monster is perhaps the largest mobile sauna based on a Volvo truck tractor. There is a real Finnish sauna here. It is practically no different from a stationary sauna; it is also made of logs, with one difference that it is installed on the wheels of a trailer. You can rent such a sauna for a whole year. Do you want to invite 20 people to the sauna at the same time? A sauna truck will solve this problem. Or you can get together as a group and go out into nature, taking with you beer, fish and a sauna...
This steam bath, similar to a small fairy-tale palace, is based in an equally fabulously beautiful place - in the area of Lake Larsmo (Turku archipelago). In addition to the crew, it can accommodate 15 people. In winter, the bathhouse also works, but is laid up. The rest of the time you can not only take a steam bath, but also admire the beauty of this unique natural region from the sauna floating on the lake.
At the Ylläs ski resort, Finland, an unusual sauna has appeared, where guests can not only take a steam bath, but literally soar - the sauna is located in the cabin of a real ski lift.
The steam room can accommodate four people. An unusual bath procedure takes 40 minutes: during this time, the mobile capsule rises twice to a height of 500 m and descends. The flying sauna is equipped with everything necessary for a wonderful pastime. And as an additional option, you will be offered to cool off in the purest snow at the top of the mountain.
Well, who would have thought that a bathhouse could be located on the territory of an ice arena... Sitting in an unusual bathhouse, you can not only take a steam bath, but also watch hockey matches on the ice. The only danger is the combination of the heat of the sauna and the intensity of hockey passions. So this pleasure is only for seasoned and strong-hearted fans!
kayrosblog.ru
Bathhouse on the water, in the apartment
The bathhouse has long and firmly entered into our lives, not only as a place where you can relieve stress and improve your health. For modern people, a bathhouse with a steam room near the water has already become the same attribute as a car or a country house or apartment. And in most cases, authors and customers try not to limit themselves to a boring box or extension in the apartment in order to put their whole soul into it and please their friends and family with the originality of the design.
How to design a bathhouse
The most original and unusual baths are always built from wood. Firstly, this is the tradition and vast centuries-old experience of building a bathhouse on the ground, next to nature and water. Secondly, wood is rightly considered the most convenient material for any building, especially since it is impossible to make a real steam room from materials other than wood.
What types of wooden baths are there? There are good and bad, there are much fewer ugly buildings in nature, because even during construction
Terme di Saturnia - Saturnia, Italy
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As an old Roman myth says, during a stormy showdown, Jupiter threw lightning at Saturn. But Saturn dodged, and lightning struck the earth, breaking the earth's crust and creating a hot healing spring, known today as Terme di Saturnia, or "Saturn's Spa." This natural hot bath, located in a volcanic crater, has been attracting people for over a thousand years.
The most famous baths in the world
First, let's look at the famous baths, where you can relax not only with your body, but also with your soul. Experts note that the bath is one of the best ways to rejuvenate the body and restore vitality.
"Gellert." Budapest
A beautiful and comfortable bath complex in the capital of Hungary opened to visitors in 1918. Over time, lovers of steam baths from different parts of the world began to come here.
The exquisite interior, marble columns, gilded staircases, as well as bright stained glass windows and decorative mosaics make Gellert look like a cathedral.
The complex includes traditional Roman baths and Turkish hammams. You can enjoy the beauty and convenience of equipped steam rooms and baths, common among other nations.
Gedik Pasha. Istanbul
Gedik Pashi was built in 1475 and is considered the oldest hammam in Turkey. During all this time, it has retained its traditional national interior.
Above the entrance to the men's half rises a majestic vault, reminiscent of a stalactite cave. Inside, the traditional ornament and marble interior traditional for Turkish baths have been preserved.
According to Eastern tradition, public baths in Turkey are divided into men's and women's sections. Unlike a Russian bath, they do not use a broom here, but they will offer you an unusual soap peeling, rubbing your body with a special washcloth.
Xiao Nan Guo Tang He Yuan. Shanghai
The five-story building in Shanghai, China, amazes with its grandeur, and this turns out to be the famous and best bathhouse in China
At the entrance you will be dressed in colorful Hawaiian robes instead of boring white sheets. Visitors are accompanied throughout the visit by a soothing melody. There are saunas and steam rooms, and you can also take a dip in a bath filled with milk.
A whole range of health treatments is offered. Visitors can enjoy massage rooms and wrapping procedures. After washing, you can drink a cup of traditional Chinese tea and sing karaoke. This is where you can find harmony, have a good rest and gain new strength.
Dragon Health Spa. Seoul
Korean baths are a rather unique ritual that takes at least 12 hours for a self-respecting Korean.
The bath complex of the South Korean capital has everything from equipped steam rooms, showers to a cinema and a golf club. It definitely won't be boring here. At the entrance you will be given an electronic key, which serves as a pass to all departments.
There are 12 swimming pools with water of different temperatures, spa rooms, salt caves and a cafe. After visiting the steam rooms and swimming in the pools, anyone can relax in the cinema by watching an interesting film.
Abanotubani. Tbilisi
The capital of Georgia boasts an entire city block in which there are baths built on natural sulfur springs.
The premises were built in the traditional Persian architectural style of the East. The squat buildings receive sunlight through a glass dome.
There is a commemorative plaque at the entrance to one of the complexes. The inscription conveys the words of Alexander Pushkin, who wrote that he had never seen anything more luxurious in the world than the Tiflis baths.
There is educational material about this and other sights of Tbilisi on our website most-beauty.ru.
Tokyo Baths Daikoku-Yu. Tokyo
In traditional Japanese sentos, instead of steam rooms, there are large wooden barrels with hot water. This is where people sit and sweat.
“Daikoku-Yu” is considered the best bathhouse in Japan, and it began operating in 1927. At the end of the twentieth century, the interior decoration was significantly changed, but from the outside it resembles a Buddhist temple.
The sacred Mount Fuji is painted on one of the walls. The Tokyo sento has a courtyard where an open-air bath is displayed. Nearby there are comfortable gazebos, a lot of greenery, and traditional Japanese stone lamps.
Sanduny. Moscow
Built in the Bonar style by the architect Boris Freidenberg, the Sandunovsky public baths in Moscow opened in 1808 and are still in operation today. They received their name from the name of their first owner, Sila Nikolaevich Sandunov.
The three-story building was rebuilt several times, and elements of Baroque, Gothic and Classicism appeared in its architecture. The floors are covered with elite tiles brought from European countries. The ceiling and walls are painted with frescoes.
In 1991, the building was given the status of an architectural monument of the Russian capital, and its interior has more than once become the setting for feature films and TV series.
Bathhouse-night club (Liquidrom, Germany)
As you can see, in Germany they also don’t mind warming up in a sauna. They also like to hang out in nightclubs and listen to music. In the city, Liquidrom made a hybrid of a club and a sauna. The complex includes a dry and wet steam room, a salt cave, massage rooms, a terrace with sun loungers and... a nightclub.
The separate room with the pool is dim and sparkling with disco lights. Fashionable music plays and artists perform. Music speakers play even underwater.
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Sauna in a gondola (Ylläs, Finland)
The Finnish ski resort boasts not only beautiful views and proximity to the Arctic Circle, but also a very unusual sauna on the ski lift. While you are making your way up, you can use the gondola sauna. Imagine that you are at a height, there are skiers, mountains and snow below, and you are enjoying the park in a comfortable sauna for four.
The ascent lasts about 20 minutes. This will be enough to get you into a good sweat. This sauna-gondola is part of a whole range of services, including massages and spa treatments at the foot of the ski hill. There is also a sauna on the ground at the other end of the climb. All this pleasure costs 1350 euros for 2 hours. During this time, 12 people can “ride” in the hanging sauna. Compared to prices in Finland for regular private saunas, this is not a bad option at all.
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Sauna on Wheels (San Francisco, California)
Nick Klein and his friends built a mobile sauna on wheels, Left Coast Sauna. They had seen such saunas many times in Northern Europe and wanted to bring this idea to their homeland. So they built a cedar barrel sauna for six people and put it on wheels. At first they planned to rent it out for special events, and the rest of the time the sauna would be idle.
But seeing a lot of interest in their mobile sauna, the team decided to ride around the area near San Francisco. They drove everywhere from the grassy fields of Marin County to the residential neighborhoods of San Francisco's Noe Valley, simply parking next to public spaces. They did not charge money for the first session, but for subsequent sessions they asked for payment. By the way, clients almost always lingered in such an unusual sauna.
After searching the Internet, we found many more photos of bathhouses and saunas on wheels. There are especially many of them in the vast expanses of the former Soviet Union.
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Foundation
A long-lasting bathhouse, created from timber, can be erected on a strip or columnar foundation.
To construct a strip foundation, formwork is built and filled with concrete mixture. Inside the foundation there will be a strip of sand or crushed stone.
A couple of weeks after the concrete has completely hardened, you can begin laying the frame.
However, no matter what type of foundation you choose, it is important to strengthen it with reinforcement for durability.
You also cannot do without practical waterproofing created between the original crown and the base. For these purposes, bitumen is applied to the foundation surface in molten form, which is laid with an even layer of roofing material. As soon as it hardens, the procedure must be repeated.
If you have decided to build a reliable and beautiful bathhouse, then be sure to get a project and, based on our recommendations, make your dreams come true.
Bottom line
Now no one can say for sure when and how people first began to use baths. But there is one legend that tells that raindrops fell through the roof onto the hot stones of the hearth, filling the home with steam. While in such a room, the person noticed that his strength was restored much faster. So, if you believe this legend, baths appeared on earth.
Author of the article: Valery Skiba
Manor mansions or bathhouse in Russian
The Russian soul is broad – and its views on the construction of houses and baths are just as broad. If you have the budget and the desire, why not build real mansions instead of a small steam room? Made from expensive thick logs, with a luxurious weather vane on the roof, skillful wood carvings and spacious, bright rooms.
Why are such beautiful bathhouses being built today from thick massive timber, and where does so much usable space go? Well: a relaxation room, a billiard room, a home-style SPA salon for women, a summer bedroom on the second floor, a guest room, an indoor pool... Such baths are already called bath complexes, and similar ones only in the Moscow region require payment in the amount of average monthly income in the country. And there is a reason for it.
To say that such a bathhouse looks gorgeous is to say nothing. But recently the tendency to use the roof of bathhouses in an unconventional way has become more interesting. Like in New York skyscrapers, in such mansions it often has a certain flat area and sun loungers are already placed on it, a barbecue gazebo is organized, and even real greenhouses are installed. Surely not a single ferret will climb there! And not a single thief will steal expensive equipment for heating and automatic watering.
But the pools in such steam rooms are not always inside - often they are simply attached to the building, protected from plant debris and the hot sun with a polycarbonate cap. It’s warm, beautiful, and accessible to any Russian, even within their means.
The only thing that designers responsible for the exterior of such baths always insist on is absolute stylization of the Russian folk style. So that such a bathhouse really looks like a mansion, and not like a powerful complex of a secret organization. And this is stylized external decor, wooden furniture at the porch, processed round logs, strict color schemes with a desire for naturalness and masterful wood carvings. After all, in such a bathhouse, even if it has already been called Russian, not only the body should rest, but also the soul!
Design Features
Construction and arrangement of a bathhouse is a rather lengthy and responsible process. The most beautiful baths are obtained only when the projects are prepared thoroughly, where all the smallest details are thought out. Preparation for construction can be divided into several stages.
First you need to think about the location of the future building. On a large plot, the ideal option would be to place it in the back of the garden so that there is a picturesque view nearby. If there is a small body of water in the local area - an artificial stream or lake - a bathhouse can be built near it. If you have a swimming pool, such a building nearby will also come in handy.
Beautiful private houses in different architectural styles
When choosing a style, it is customary to focus on personal preferences, budget for materials and finishing, features of the site, as well as the concept of interior design, because the design of the premises and the exterior must be in harmony.
Classic
A house in a classical style is aristocratic, elegant, based on the canons of ancient architecture. It is characterized by strict proportionality, symmetrical axial composition, monumental forms and rectilinear outlines. The materials are also traditional: brick, stone, wood, limestone. The decor is devoid of pretentiousness; façade stucco accents the windows, interfloor cornices, and entrance portals. A popular solution in the classics is bay windows. They increase the internal area of a magnificent country house and improve lighting.
Modern style
This direction is characterized by large internal spaces, panoramic glazing, and openness to nature. The premises are often combined, so a living room appears, combined with a dining room, kitchen and hall. The layout is organized rationally; the design lacks historical elements of decoration.
Emphasis on the use of current design, construction and finishing solutions. Plaster, porcelain stoneware, wood, facing brick, fiber cement panels from fashionable collections of manufacturers are suitable for facades.
Minimalism
Beautiful modern houses are distinguished by their external laconicism, strict geometry, and calm colors with a predominance of light shades. Natural materials are given priority: wood, stone, brick. The layout is practical and also prefers combined spaces, large panoramic windows, transparent sliding partitions with access to wide terraces.
Russian log house
The main building material is rounded logs. The air in such a house is saturated with the beneficial aromas of wood resins, the microclimate is as favorable as possible for humans. The tree retains heat well, protects from cold in winter, and from heat in summer. A distinctive feature in the external appearance is the log elements from which the porch, sloping roof, and beautiful columns are carved. If in other styles interior decoration of rooms is required, here it is absent; this preserves the unity of design outside and inside the residential building.
European style
European-style cottages are associated with simple geometric shapes, and their design is usually based on the shape of a square or close to it. Showing healthy architectural conservatism, such cottages fit very well into the natural environment; the exterior is suitable for any landscape. There is usually a ground floor finished with stone or tiles.
The traditional two- or four-slope roof is covered with natural tiles or, in a more modern version, metal. Small rectangular or arched windows are adjacent to the point inclusion of panoramic glazing. The internal space is organized in such a way as to accommodate everything you need in a small area.
Chalet
Stunning private chalet style homes - secure and practical accommodation with spectacular design. The slopes of the sloping roof protrude greatly beyond the walls, covering the facades and the adjacent area from the weather. An integral part of the layout are spacious open terraces, which increase the usable area. The lower part of the building is usually built of stone, the upper floors and attic are wooden. A characteristic feature is the large-scale glazing of the facade.
Scandinavian style
A very beautiful style of the house with an emphasis on Nordic restraint, simplicity and naturalness in details. One- and two-story buildings are erected from wood, brick, and concrete. Cottages have large windows, often panoramic, framed with massive wooden frames. A terrace is required. The roof is most often pitched, but it can also be flat. The color scheme tends to basic neutral tones: beige, white, gray, wood, black.
They create an expressive monochrome or an advantageous basis for several contrasts. The façade design is minimalistic; the walls can be covered with light plaster, lined with wooden clapboard, or lined with boards or panels.
High-tech and techno in a bath style
But adherents of modern technologies are faced with a completely difficult task: how to build a good, functional Russian bathhouse, but without any hints of a hut? In this case, the trends in techno and hi-tech (“high technology”) architecture come to the rescue. After all, the internal filling of the steam room can be anything you want, but the essence of the bath is only in maintaining the correct temperature and humidity conditions. And sometimes new steam generators, ventilation systems, chrome-plated powerful stoves and a swimming pool with hydromassage somehow don’t look right against the backdrop of shaggy croakers and rough log walls. And what kind of outer shell a real Russian bathhouse will have is another question.
And so a new style of architecture and exterior of Russian baths was born: strict, laconic forms, almost complete absence of accessories, huge darkened Euro-windows from the dressing room from ceiling to floor and techno colors: gray, brown and black. These can be wooden baths, or beautiful steam rooms made of cinder blocks with spectacular siding trim with imitation of something. Yes, it’s unusual, but quite stylish, and in any country house or garden plot such a bathhouse will be a striking architectural object.
Give free rein to your imagination and true Russian craftsmanship - and the most beautiful baths in the world from glossy magazines will be eclipsed!
Rest room interior
We recommend decorating the relaxation room in the same style as the bathhouse itself, so that they complement each other. Windows should be small and as airtight as possible to prevent drafts and cold. Neat roller shutters made from natural fabrics will help you hide from prying eyes.
In the relaxation room you need soft, comfortable lighting so that it does not hurt your eyes after the bath. Small local sconces and floor lamps or spotlights with a brightness control are suitable. The main thing is to have fewer exposed wires and sockets, because even a room with a sauna is still high in humidity.
A comfortable sofa or bench with cushions wouldn't hurt, but choose upholstery that's not sensitive to moisture. For example, natural leather, for all its beauty, will quickly deteriorate in such conditions. Take care of shelves, racks and closed cabinets for oils, brushes and bath accessories.
If the rest room is spacious enough and well insulated from moisture, think about entertainment. This could be a TV, a pool table, a table football table or a bookcase. The fireplace looks very impressive - even a compact decorative biofuel model will do.
Takaragawa Onsen - Minakawa, Japan
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Takanagawa Onsen in the village of Minakami, Gunma Prefecture on the island of Honshu is perhaps the most picturesque spa complex in Japan. For a country where there are many hot springs and a cult of natural beauty, this says a lot. Locals claim that the waters of the hot spring in Minakami have magical healing powers. Therefore, people have been coming here to be treated with hot waters since ancient times. The spa has three general baths and one separate one for women.
Foundation for a bathhouse in the country
The foundation of a country bathhouse can be piled, striped or columnar. At the same time, the construction technology differs.
Columnar
Columnar-type foundations are characterized by simple installation and low financial investments.
Used for timber buildings. A feature of this foundation is the construction of supports only in places of greatest load. These are the corners of the building and the intersection of load-bearing structures and partitions.
The construction of such a foundation has the following features:
- The pillars are made of brick or stone.
- The distance between the supports is filled with crushed stone.
- The trenches are then filled with mortar.
- The main load from the building falls on the pillars.
Tape
Most often, a do-it-yourself bathhouse in a dacha and other country buildings are built on strip foundations. A similar foundation can be laid even under massive walls.
A strip foundation stretches along the perimeter of the entire building. Its construction does not require any special equipment.
Construction consists of the following stages:
- Creating a trench.
- Installation of reinforcement ties.
- Pouring with concrete mixture.
If the foundation needs to be raised slightly above the ground, then formwork is performed.
Pile
Pile supports are used for country bathhouses made of timber and for buildings that are located on moving soils.
Piles can be reinforced concrete, metal or concrete. They are driven or screwed into the ground until a solid layer of soil is reached. A slab or strip foundation is laid on top of the piles.
Slab
On difficult soils, a slab foundation is used, which is a solid slab under the entire surface of the building.
This is a reliable type of foundation, the construction of which is labor-intensive.
High-tech and techno in a bath style
But adherents of modern technologies are faced with a completely difficult task: how to build a good, functional Russian bathhouse, but without any hints of a hut? In this case, the trends in techno and hi-tech (“high technology”) architecture come to the rescue. After all, the internal filling of the steam room can be anything you want, but the essence of the bath is only in maintaining the correct temperature and humidity conditions. And sometimes new steam generators, ventilation systems, chrome-plated powerful stoves and a swimming pool with hydromassage somehow don’t look right against the backdrop of shaggy croakers and rough log walls. And what kind of outer shell a real Russian bathhouse will have is another question.
And so a new style of architecture and exterior of Russian baths was born: strict, laconic forms, almost complete absence of accessories, huge darkened Euro-windows from the dressing room from ceiling to floor and techno colors: gray, brown and black. These can be wooden baths, or beautiful steam rooms made of cinder blocks with spectacular siding trim with imitation of something. Yes, it’s unusual, but quite stylish, and in any country house or garden plot such a bathhouse will be a striking architectural object.
Give free rein to your imagination and true Russian craftsmanship - and the most beautiful baths in the world from glossy magazines will be eclipsed!
Unusual baths photo
Unusual baths - exoticism at its finest
Russian bathhouse - in our modern times, it is not only a traditional washing room, steam room and a terribly cramped dressing room.
Increasingly, the eyes of homeowners are drawn to the designs of unusual bathhouses: with a veranda, fireplace, swimming pool, barbecue oven, relaxation rooms, extensive terrace... and this is not the limit of the architects’ imagination!
Bath complex in a vest
Original bathhouses or triple pleasure
In this article, we invite you to get acquainted with non-standard baths that go beyond the boring boundaries of everyday life, in which relaxing is not just pleasant and interesting, but unforgettable! After all, here you have a unique opportunity to receive three types of pleasure at once: physical, mental and aesthetic.
Interesting projects
So, let's see what solutions have recently become popular among our compatriots when building baths:
- Bath complex with a swimming pool. We would like to immediately dispel the myth that the implementation of such a project is mega expensive - professional builders and home craftsmen have long confirmed the opposite. The price of building a bathhouse from timber with a small pool is affordable to almost everyone, especially if the artificial reservoir is not heated and not covered. But projects of two-story buildings with an indoor pool are more expensive. Yes, and there is room here to expand architecturally.
Compact pool inside the bathhouse
- Billiards and sauna are another excellent combination that will surely interest many representatives of the stronger sex! By and large, such projects provide for the presence of at least one recreation room - billiard equipment is located in it. The area of this room can vary from a minimum of 20 m² to 40 m² or more.
Bath complex with a billiard room on the attic floor
Quite often beating
Sauna Tower (Bochum, Germany)
This unusual sauna is built from prefabricated concrete structures on an industrial wasteland in a former coal-mining region of Germany.
These blocks were previously used to build coal mines. Now, instead of going down the shaft, you need to climb up. On the first level there is a small pool, on the second there is a sauna, and on the third highest level there is a relaxation room with a view of the sky.
The name of this architectural absurdity is “One Person Sauna,” because only one person will feel comfortable there. The idea is to create a space for peace and relaxation, but also to show the other side of an industrial ghost town with nothing else to do.
By the way, an interesting article was recently published on most-beauty.ru about the coolest bars located underground.
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How beautiful house facades are designed
Modern exterior design uses a whole arsenal of finishing coatings and decoration techniques to make the facade of a country mansion look neat and attractive.
Cladding options
Natural and artificial materials enhance the expressive effect.
- Wooden slabs, planken, shingles. In addition to its decorative qualities, natural wood is an excellent heat insulator. Combines well with any other facing coating. To increase service life, it requires special care: impregnation against fungus, treatment against insects.
- A natural stone. The most durable facade cladding. It is expensive, as is its installation. For this reason, stone coverings are often combined with brick, wood, and plaster - such facades look rich, solid and modern.
- Clinker brick. Popular due to the variety of shapes and colors produced. Beautifully decorated brick houses can have contrasting grout joints and masonry in different colors.
- Decorative plaster. One of the most affordable exterior finishing options. The coating is easy to apply and has a rich range of colors. But it is not able to resist the effects of severe frosts, dampness, and aggressive ultraviolet radiation for a long time. Needs frequent updating.
- Facing panels. Composite materials (for example, fiber cement) imitate the texture of wood, stone, and metal. They make the facade unique and original at lower costs.
- Combination. Combining several types of cladding at once is a good way to diversify the exterior. Wild stone looks great with smooth wood, embossed plank with smooth plaster, transom brick with vertical cladding boards.
Techniques for decorating a beautiful private home
The following will give the facades a complete look:
- bright, eye-catching cornices, window frames, balcony railings;
- the original shape of the window openings, emphasized by the layout of the profiles;
- decorative framing of columns, towers, corners;
- for classics - colonnades, pilasters, bas-reliefs, sandriks, pediments;
- portal in the design of the entrance group.
An original way to decorate a cottage is to create a living wall of climbing plants on a special vertical grid. Of course, you will have to control the distribution of greenery and trim it in time, otherwise the vines will darken the windows. This way you can decorate balconies, cornices, terraces, then even small beautiful houses will acquire a luxurious look.
An important factor is evening façade lighting. Street lamps are mounted on the wall, suspended or built into cornices, and placed pointwise around the perimeter of the building. The overall mood of the exterior depends on their design, direction and color of the light flux. For the purposes of not only decoration, but also security, lanterns are installed above each entrance to the cottage and the entrance to the garage.
Panoramic glazing
Huge panoramic windows let a lot of light into the home, open up a wonderful view of the surrounding nature, and also look extraordinary. That is why they are so often found in the most beautiful private houses, designed in a modern style.
You need to choose façade glass according to its energy saving characteristics, thermal insulation and shockproof properties. Plus think about the internal heating system. Then in bright, sunny rooms with large windows it will be warm even in winter.
Sauna Deco (Amsterdam, Holland)
Where: Herengracht 115, 1015 BE
Surprisingly, an old Parisian department store played a major role in the fate of a small sauna in the center of Amsterdam. When in the 1970s the owners of the famous Le Bon Marche store decided to update the interior, decorated in the 1920s according to the sketches of the recognized master of Art Deco, architect Louis-Hippolyte Boileau, a huge number of decorative details were simply dismantled. The efficient Dutch acquired them, giving their bathhouse the appropriate name.
The wooden staircase with a bronze cast balustrade, along which Parisian women hurried to do their shopping, now leads to the second floor of the sauna in the relaxation room, a glass elevator shaft separates the swimming pool from the rest of the premises, and the gilded stained glass windows in the lounge and swimming pool used to be lanterns on the roof of the department store. Now people of both sexes wander around these luxurious Parisian interiors completely naked and wrapped in towels: like most Dutch baths, Sauna Deco is mixed, and swimsuits are not allowed here.
After visiting two saunas with different temperatures and a hammam with eucalyptus steam, you can go to the pool with hydromassage, relax in the tiny garden in the courtyard, and then head to the lounge to look at photographs of that same department store: it turns out to be a pyramidal glowing object on the floor, which is crowned with a vase of flowers , used to be a chandelier in the sales area. Another reason to visit Sauna Deco is the best massage therapists in Amsterdam, with whom you need to make an appointment in advance. In addition, the local beauty salon offers wraps and facial treatments with seaweed, which is specially brought from Brittany.
Cost of visit: €21
More details: www.saunadeco.nl
Types of baths
A structure like a bathhouse can look anything these days. It all depends on the desires and capabilities of its owner. Saunas can be installed in a container, garage, barn, or even underground. Everyone finds their own options for implementing an idea. But this is all subject to cramped space and a small amount of funds.
If the budget for the construction of a future bathhouse is thought out in advance and a project is prepared, then you can make truly beautiful structures that will not only delight with their functionality, but also provide aesthetic pleasure. After all, a bathhouse can be built with panoramic windows, which will allow you to admire the surrounding beauty. There is an option to make a room with a second set, which will allow you to create an original open layout inside. Bathhouses with an attic deserve special attention, where there is access to a balcony, with a gazebo or veranda, which allows you to continue relaxing in the fresh air after bathing procedures. Many people build a bath house on the site, which makes it possible to set aside rooms for bedrooms, guest rooms and other useful spaces.
Raised Sauna (Colroy-la-Roche, France)
Forested hills seem to stretch on forever in this region of France near the Rhine River and the German border. The owners of Hostellerie La Cheneaudière & Spa wanted their guests to be able to enjoy beautiful views of nature even while relaxing in the sauna, so they built a sauna at altitude. There is nothing under the sauna except supports.
After mountain biking or skiing, guests can relax by the pool, climb the stairs to the sauna and enjoy the stunning views.
Cold Surf Sauna (Portsmouth, New Hampshire)
Surfers in the northeastern United States have taken the mobile sauna idea to the next level. Their constant problem was sub-zero air temperatures and snow-covered ground. How to fly through the waves in such conditions? Wearing multi-layer wetsuits that make you look like the man from a Michelin tire ad? Very uncomfortable.
Together with sailors and masters, local surfers created a Surf Sauna, in which they warmed up in between riding the waves. It is made of red cedar, also has a barrel shape and can be rolled directly to the shore or any other place. Cool idea for ice surfing!
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Sauna on the rocks (Vestvagøy, Norway)
This sauna has a very unusual design. It stretches out on the shore of one of the Norwegian islands right on the rocks, like paper origami. It was developed by students from the Oslo School of Architecture and Design. The complex was built in a former fishing village next to abandoned houses and buildings that were previously used by residents for salting cod and producing fish oil.
The idea behind the project is to transform the area into a center for art, design and culture, with the Bands Sauna (as it's called) being its centerpiece. The spacious sauna has an area of 15 square meters, a hydromassage bath, a loggia for an outdoor picnic, and constant access to cold water, where you can refresh yourself after the steam room.
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Miniature beautiful baths or a masterpiece of architectural thought
But what to do if the budget for building a bathhouse is very limited, but you don’t want to steam in a barrel? Does this mean that you should give up your dream and be content with a miserable house-sauna on chicken legs? Not at all! After all, minimalism is in fashion, and this style affected not only interior interiors - it created a whole direction in architecture.
And miniature baths look great: they are compact, functional and stylish. The main thing is to correctly distribute the valuable space in them: the steam room and the washing room have certain volume requirements, but for the rest you can safely use your imagination. So, in such baths, the relaxation room can be at the same time a veranda, a billiard room, a dressing room and even a summer bedroom! And it all looks gorgeous: a beautiful glazed extension with sliding glass panels is simply added to the log steam room. Nearby is a pond or artificial pool. In cold weather, this is a living-dining room and a guest room, on a sunny summer day - an open patio with cool blue water, which is so pleasant to plunge into after a good Russian heat.
In order to save space and money, they also build small two-story bathhouses: after all, the most significant part of the budget is spent on building the foundation, and the attached second floor, oddly enough, ends up being much cheaper. On the ground floor there is a small dressing room with a boiler, a steam room and a compact washing room, on the second there is the same billiard room and upholstered furniture. But the staircase needs to fit into all this, and some craftsmen manage to make it on the outside of the bathhouse, believing that some kind of extreme for a steamed body in the form of Siberian frost is only good for health.
How do you like saunas on water, at height and in the air? And all this thanks to new construction technologies and light electric stoves, which can be installed even in space!
In fact, compactness in construction is a trend in Europe, where the scope of the soul in the architecture of residential complexes is somehow not welcomed, but the ability to create a SPA paradise on a piece of land is considered skill. Europeans prefer to give extra meters of land for an orchard or a pond - there is a rational grain in this, isn’t it?
Rzhev Baths (Moscow, Russia)
Where: Banny pr., 3, building 1
The Rzhev baths have been operating uninterruptedly in the capital for more than 120 years - in 1888 they were opened in Korzunovsky Lane (now Banny Proezd) by the merchant of the second guild Ivan Malyshev. Later, from Malyshevsky they turned into Krestovsky, and the current name was assigned to the bathhouse during the war - military units going to the front from the nearby Rzhevsky (now Rizhsky) station washed themselves there.
The morals here have always been democratic - the main contingent, even before the revolution, consisted of people of ordinary rank, small merchants and students. The interiors, accordingly, are not outstanding, although recently there was a major renovation, after which VIP rooms and a sauna appeared.
But that’s not why people go to the Rzhev Baths - lovers and connoisseurs of a real Russian bath come to Banny Proezd from all over the city for the traditional steam room - here it’s a real ritual. Steam is prepared every half hour: they pour water into the stove-heater in gangs, sprinkle the walls of the steam room with infusions of chamomile and wormwood, and only then let people inside.
According to the old Moscow tradition, they lie in the steam room right on the floor (the steam is so hot that many people enter on all fours), the steamer (there are several of them, each has its own day and its own audience, which comes exactly on this day) stands in the center, asks for silence and begins to perform sacred rituals: “scooping up” the steam from above with a broom or towel, he “douses” it in turn on all the people lying on the floor. Having plunged into a cold bath in the soap compartment after such steam, you feel absolute bliss - in the most precise meaning of the word.
Cost of visit: 800 rubles (on weekends - 850 rubles)
More details: https://rzhevskie-bani.ru