森の生態系を楽しむサウナ

森のサウナ

用途
サウナ
所在地
徳島県神山町
構造
木造1階
規模
延床面積8.79㎡
事業主
カフェ オニヴァ
施工
カフェ オニヴァ
竣工年
2019
写真撮影
鈴木久雄

Sauna in forest

Sauna to enjoy the forest ecosystem

Restoring the Forest by Building a Sauna with Human Hands

This sauna hut in the forest was created by the handiwork of the owner, who runs a cafe in Kamiyama-cho, Tokushima Prefecture, and the people around him. As is the case throughout Japan, the forests of Kamiyama-cho have been planted with a large number of cedars, but left unattended. In a forest where there are no leaves falling and no light shining in, it is difficult for underbrush to grow, and it is difficult for biodiversity, including soil, to thrive. In order to restore the forest to a light-filled, ecologically diverse forest, it is important to create opportunities for people to become more familiar with and enjoy the forest so that the thinning of coniferous trees can be promoted. As a first attempt to achieve this, we decided to build a sauna hut. In planning the project, we visited the site to deepen our knowledge of the sauna culture in the Baltic countries, where forests and saunas coexist. The site had steep cliffs and a stream running along the cliffs, and the pool in the stream was just deep enough to cool the body heated by the sauna. We decided to build the sauna on a flat site about 100 meters up a mountain road along the stream from the road, where we could barely secure enough floor space for the sauna. The only window in the sauna room was positioned to look out over the cedar grove on the southern slope, and benches were placed parallel to the landscape so that up to eight people could sit facing each other. In the center of the room is a wood-burning stove on which water is poured over heated sauna stones, filling the room with steam and heat (known as ""wax""). The sauna room and changing rooms are divided into two volumes, with a space under the eaves in between. The eaves, where visitors can shelter from the rain, provide an approach to the sauna room, and are also part of the mountain path leading upstream. The site is located away from the road to bring in materials, and there is no infrastructure such as electricity, water, or sewerage. It was decided to construct a self-built wooden one-story house on such a site. For the foundation, the amount of concrete was kept to a minimum, and the construction method was to use a combination of blocks that did not require formwork. Structural and finishing materials were planned to be divided into pieces large enough to be carried by a person. The materials that could be taken from the site were used to the maximum extent possible. Rocks from the site grading were crushed to make crushed stone for the foundation, and thinned cedar trees were chopped and dried to be used as a heat source for the sauna stove. There is no electricity or running water in the sauna, only a wood-burning stove, so the sauna is lit at night by candles and other lights, relying on natural light, and water from the stream is used for waxing the sauna stones. The sky has been brightened by thinning the trees, and it is said that birds now come to the site. At the beginning of the project, the owner and I shared the image of the entire forest as a living space. The sauna is the first base for this project, and the idea is to restore the forest over time while improving the surrounding environment. They also dream of expanding this kind of experiment to all kinds of forests.

沢と溜りのある森にサウナ小屋をつくると同時に、周辺の森の環境を整える計画。森林や沢といった「そこにあるもの」で持続的な暮らしの実験ができるような環境創りを考えている。

サウナの設計にあたり、バルト三国、エストニア・ラトビア・リトアニアを旅した。様々なサウナを現地で体験し設計に活かす試み

エストニア、ヴォル地方で訪れたMooska farm のスモークサウナ

リトアニア南部のZervynosで訪れたスモークサウナ

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