Variables and Constants of Hitchhiking Architecture
Our hitch hiking journey towards the final destination began with lot of variables. Starting merely with a sauna stove dragged by the instructors from Finland to Estonia, we were staring at a daunting task of intuitively building a Sauna with the grand opening set in approximately 10 days
Route Unknown
The Given: Sauna Stove
The Unknown: Site, Materials, Capacity, Services, Required Accessories (and every other small aspect)
The Destination: Sauna
With these extensive set variables our hitch hiking journey towards the final destination began. Starting merely with a sauna stove dragged by the instructors from Finland to Estonia, we were staring at a daunting task of intuitively building a Sauna with the grand opening set in approximately 10 days.
We are so used to being surrounded by constants around us and anything unfamiliar threatens our conscious. Plunging into a situation like this really tests us as designers.
SINK or SWIM.
The Journey
What is the best professional way to decide a site for design project? Of course a Dice Roll.
Resting our faith in this Dice Roll, we ended up with a very unusual site. A secluded, difficult to access site which was under a road bridge and above a water stream.
There was no looking back now, it was going to be a Sauna on water. An actual functioning, open for all SAUNA! A design which many considered to be over ambitious and far fetched for a simple 10 day workshop.
With the excess timber members from the EASA inventory, salvaged materials from the vicinity, confidence in our ever optimistic instructors, all the grit and every odd stacked up against us we dived into this knee deep water for the coming 7 days.
The Destination
The final design that came about from the process was a playful and yet highly functional. The bays were wide enough for only one person to walk, resulting in fun encounters between users. The sauna space had the seating arrangement adjacent to the window. But the key element was big floor cut with the stream flowing below. User could sit and enjoy the steam then jump into the water and swim out from either side.
The Fateful Night
How lucky was I to have my first Sauna experience in the Sauna which I helped to design and make!
Opening night of this space was quite surreal. To see the space being inhabited has to be one of the best feelings for an architect. As the water passed from under and the ripples made that soothing sound, as the tarp on the top got ballooned by the hot steam and noise of beer cans being popped open could be heard, as the giggling and chatter spread around the area, we knew we had come through.
I look back with great pride at what transpired through this workshop. The final product manages to put a content smirk on each of us participants’ face every time we glance at it.
I visited it on the last day and to my surprise there were some travellers and locals already there. They had gotten a new whisk and bucket as additions. For the coming days hopefully more hitchhikers, travellers and locals will come and built upon what we already did.
Variables and Constants of Hitchhiking Architecture
Our hitch hiking journey towards the final destination began with lot of variables. Starting merely with a sauna stove dragged by the instructors from Finland to Estonia, we were staring at a daunting task of intuitively building a Sauna with the grand opening set in approximately 10 days
Route Unknown
The Given: Sauna Stove
The Unknown: Site, Materials, Capacity, Services, Required Accessories (and every other small aspect)
The Destination: Sauna
With these extensive set variables our hitch hiking journey towards the final destination began. Starting merely with a sauna stove dragged by the instructors from Finland to Estonia, we were staring at a daunting task of intuitively building a Sauna with the grand opening set in approximately 10 days.
We are so used to being surrounded by constants around us and anything unfamiliar threatens our conscious. Plunging into a situation like this really tests us as designers.
SINK or SWIM.
The Journey
What is the best professional way to decide a site for design project? Of course a Dice Roll.
Resting our faith in this Dice Roll, we ended up with a very unusual site. A secluded, difficult to access site which was under a road bridge and above a water stream.
There was no looking back now, it was going to be a Sauna on water. An actual functioning, open for all SAUNA! A design which many considered to be over ambitious and far fetched for a simple 10 day workshop.
With the excess timber members from the EASA inventory, salvaged materials from the vicinity, confidence in our ever optimistic instructors, all the grit and every odd stacked up against us we dived into this knee deep water for the coming 7 days.
The Destination
The final design that came about from the process was a playful and yet highly functional. The bays were wide enough for only one person to walk, resulting in fun encounters between users. The sauna space had the seating arrangement adjacent to the window. But the key element was big floor cut with the stream flowing below. User could sit and enjoy the steam then jump into the water and swim out from either side.
The Fateful Night
How lucky was I to have my first Sauna experience in the Sauna which I helped to design and make!
Opening night of this space was quite surreal. To see the space being inhabited has to be one of the best feelings for an architect. As the water passed from under and the ripples made that soothing sound, as the tarp on the top got ballooned by the hot steam and noise of beer cans being popped open could be heard, as the giggling and chatter spread around the area, we knew we had come through.
I look back with great pride at what transpired through this workshop. The final product manages to put a content smirk on each of us participants’ face every time we glance at it.
I visited it on the last day and to my surprise there were some travellers and locals already there. They had gotten a new whisk and bucket as additions. For the coming days hopefully more hitchhikers, travellers and locals will come and built upon what we already did.