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Abstract:

My Bathhouse design is a quiet, peaceful place for bathers to come relax and reconnect with nature. Everything within the space is soft and organic in shape and in material. The space invites bathers to interact with the space through the mark making of water on the matte surfaces.

Report:

My design emulates a natural rock pool with staggered levels drawing you deeper into the pool allowing space to sit, swim and dive. The main pool is the temperature of the spring it has come from. Within the pool there are two smaller pools which are heated providing more than one option for the bathers experience. 

In my bathhouse I have created an atmosphere of a natural oasis hidden away, allowing bathers an escape from the city. From the moment you enter the space you are enveloped into an organic bathing experience that touches all the senses.

Everything you touch in the space has come from our native environment. You can hear the birds and insects in the forest, you can feel the wind blow through the trees and see the natural dappled light dancing across the walls and floors.

I have implicated the principles of Kotahitanga, Kaitiakitanga and Wairuatanga into my design by heating the pool using solar power, pumping in water from the Waihorotiu Stream and collecting rainwater from the building to supply the pool and using a natural filtration system of Sphagnum Moss. This process connects the space to Rangi-nui.

In the construction of this space everything that can be sourced second hand will be used in its construction. We will use recycled wood to build the lockers and trimmings, concrete in the flooring etc. By recycling materials we are achieving a positive environmental impact – Kothitanga. All materials will be sourced locally to create a connection to Papatuanuku within the space.

The effect of these details, partnering with the forest, connects the space to our earth. It is a place where your spirit can be still and find a moment of peace amongst the hustle and bustle of Auckland city. You can be transported to the native NZ bush without leaving the city.

The open exterior wall brings the outside forest into the space creating spaciousness and enhances the concept of nature bathing allowing the bather to experience the outside whilst still being in an indoor bath. The effect this has on your senses also enhances this concept. You can smell the earth, hear the bird song and see the foliage sway in the wind.

As the sun sets and the natural light is no longer able to light the bathhouse, the refreshments bar will softly light up allowing bathers enough light to navigate the space whilst not disturbing the natural rhythms of the earth.

The refreshments bar that will be stocked with eco friendly refreshments. Any waste that the bar creates will be compostable so can be buried in the forest to feed the plants and biodegrade – Kaitiakitanga.

In front of the lockers is a rock formation seating area to rest on when transitioning from the lockers to the pool or vise versa. 

By using natural materials to construct the space and keeping the finishes of the walls natural, the space is one that is soft to touch and look at. It is very organic and untouched in its aesthetic and this allows the spread and mark making of water to be a striking contrast within the space.

This relationship of wet/dry allows the bathers to bring the space to life and make their mark within the space connecting them to the space and our natural environment through the space.

Pepeha:

Ko Pukematekeo te māunga

Ko Waitakere te awa

Nō Tamaki Makaurau ahau

Ko Sara tōku ingoa

My space is strongly themed around a natural cave or watering hole. With this in mind, as the space transitions from day to night, I have kept the lighting very minimal.

There is a light in the entrance for bathers to find their way into the space and in the evenings a light under the refreshments area will come on allowing enough light for bathers to find the pool.

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The soundscape of my bathhouse will be very organic. The open windows will allow birdsong, wind in the trees and the chatter of insects to be heard from the pool as well as the movement of water as bathers move at all times of day.

In exploring the effect time has on a space I went for a walk on Orewa beach at sunset. I observed that the dark brings quiet and rest to the beach. Even the birds and insects seem to go to bed. I found the quiet very peaceful and having such vast stillness in an open space was very calming. I will try and emulate this effect in my design by keeping the sounds that are heard organic, created by the bathers and the forest. I will keep the temperatures organic allowing the water in the main pool to be temperature controlled by the sun. I will also leave the windows open at all times to allow bathers to feel any wind that comes into the space and I will keep the lighting as natural as possible to allow the natural rhythms of the earth to play out within the space.

The relationship that the space has when wet versus being dry will create a gloss in an otherwise matte space. You will be able to see footprints, hand prints and any marks made from a bather after they have entered and exited the baths. The bather brings the space to life, leaving their mark until the water gets evaporated.

The pool will act as a mirror to the forest drawing the nature into the space. when puddles form this will continue this theme throughout the space. as light filters through the space the water will also carry it further into the space by bouncing it onto the walls and ceiling.

The details in my bathrooms will be stone sinks with matte black taps similar to the image below. Having a matte tap and stone sink makes washing your hands a soft to touch experience. It also allows the bather to bring the gloss of water into the space continuing the wet/dry relationship and partnership the space has with the bather.

The other details in the bathroom space such as the toilet, toilet paper holder and shower heads will also be matte black.

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The edge conditions of my pools are that of a natural rock pool going deeper in exaggerated steps as you move toward the centre of the pool.

To help with anyone with mobility issues I created a ramp from the floor to the first step of the pool to make it more accessible.

To make access easier to the two different hot pools I designed a glass walkway that traces around the two pools, sitting just below the surface of the water. To avoid any slipping I will use acid etched glass with a soft flowing pattern on it to continue the use of soft lines whist also achieving bathers safety.

The doors to the changing rooms and bathrooms don’t have handles and will be on hinges that can swing in both directions. This encourages bathers to explore the space and touch and interact with it.

On the lockers there will also be no handles or door knobs. I will use magnetic push catchers so you have to press the locker to open it. Again encouraging the relationship between the bather and the space and the mark making with water.

I laser cut my final model into a 2mm thick card to create a solid model that clearly communicates my design and is easy to pass around the group, unlike my previous model that was very flimsy.

I used super glue to bond the edges together and in places that needed more reinforcement I used some masking tape.

Once constructed I painted the model white to make it look a bit cleaner and more cohesive.

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I made a colour way to focus in on my materials, textures and colour pallet.

In researching into the exact materials I will use for my bathhouse I considered Kotahitanga. I will recycle the concrete that gets excavated the the building of the new bath house as the new floor fitting the pieces together, buffing them down to a smooth, clean surface and using an off white grout to fill in the gaps.

I gathered samples of different ceramic and stone tiles in different colours and textures that could be on my walls.

I didn’t like the texture of the ceramic tiles. They felt too manufactured and I was wanting something more natural.

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I liked the stone samples much better. They had a nicer weight and touch. The samples that I collected were mostly very polished and clean. There was one marble sample that had a matte finish which made me consider getting custom stone slabs cut to keep the natural rough finish of stone.

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I found a native stone, Hinuera, that is excavated in the Waikato that has a beautiful colour and texture. It features bits of pumice as it is a volcanic stone. It is both durable and low maintenance, with insulation properties. Hinuera Stone also has a high grip rating (.81) making it ideal for wet areas. https://www.hinuera.co.nz/products/cladding

This stone would add texture to the walls and compliment the bathing experience through its organic aesthetic and volcanic origins. Its warm creme colour is inviting and comforting allowing bathers to feel relaxed in the space.

https://archipro.co.nz/professionals/hinuera-natural-stone/info

For the wood trimmings and screens I will source recycled timbers such as Rimu, Kauri and Matai from business that source recycled timber such as Zero Energy House (https://zeroenergyhouse.co.nz/recycled-timber).

These woods are a rich warm brown and are native to our land.

I will varnish the wood in a golden brown varnish to protect the timber from the moisture in the space and give it a clean, warm finish. Having native timber brings Wairuatanga into the space by bringing in the natural NZ environment.

The wood brings a depth of colour continuing the warmth of the room, adding texture and creates a sense of drawing the forest into the space but in a clean cut and organised form.

By recycling the concrete and timber I’m also applying Kaitiakitanga in the creating of the space.

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The design plays with rigidity and fluidity mirroring the natural lines of the forest against the straight lines of the city behind it. A harmonious existence of two opposites.

I composed my final design on rhino to be more efficient. This enabled me to easily move sections of my design around the space, see where elements fit best in the space and allowed me to easily test ideas without having to start from scratch if they didn’t work out whilst also building up my digital file.

In my final design I changed the entrance point into the space to be more user friendly for anyone with physical disabilities. The entrance is now accessible by elevator and much more open to allow an easy flow into the space.

Due to this change in entrance I had to alter the position of the lockers and bathrooms.

With the bathrooms in their new position I changed their size and didn’t have as many creating a more comfortable space to use. I also included changing rooms opposite the lockers. I also have included some screens in front of both the changing rooms and bathrooms to provide some privacy for users entering and exiting the cubicles.

I changed the shape of the windows continuing the theme of soft natural lines that created the shape of the pools creating a more natural, cavelike, aesthetic. I also applied these soft natural lines to the entrance arch.

I changed the location of the smaller pools to make them more easily accessible and created a walkway around the smaller pools that sits just under the water level to further increase the accessibility to these pools.

I changed the shape of the refreshments bar to a softer natural flowing shape to fit with the theme.

With this design I wanted to enhance and play with the contrasting relationship between sharp lines of the changing rooms, bathrooms, lockers and screens and the soft natural lines of the pools, bar, windows and entrance.

17 Ways To Make Your Pool More Eco-Friendly (Infographic)

Bathing experience presentation notes:

Pepeha:

Ko Pukematekeo te māunga

Ko Waitakere te awa

Nō Tamaki Makaurau ahau

Ko Sara tōku ingoa

My intention for the basement level of  the Dadley buildings was to create a place that feels like you’ve entered into a secret oasis in the heart of the city where you are transported away from the hustle and bustle and immersed in a natural environment. 

My design emulates a natural rock pool with staggered levels drawing you deeper into the pool allowing space to sit, swim and dive. The main pool is the temperature of the spring it has come from. Within the pool there are two smaller pools which are heated providing more than one option for the bathers experience. 

The open exterior wall brings the outside forest into the space creating spaciousness and enhances the concept of nature bathing allowing the bather to experience the outside whilst still being in an indoor bath. The effect this has on your senses also enhances this concept. You can smell the earth, hear the bird song and see the foliage sway in the wind.

The entrance is subtle and unobtrusive creating a satisfying contrast as you enter into the luxe pool space. Creates the feeling that this is a secret sacred place to escape to. 

I have implicated the principles of Kotahitanga, Kaitiakitanga and Wairuatanga into my design by heating the pool using solar power installed on the exterior of the building, pumping in water from the Waihorotiu Stream and collecting rainwater from the building to supply the pool and using a natural filtration system of Sphagnum Moss. In the construction of this space everything that can be sourced second hand will be used e.g. recycled wood to build the lockers and refreshments bar, recycled rocks and concrete in the flooring etc.

To the right of the entrance is a refreshments bar that will be stocked with eco friendly refreshments. Any waste that the bar creates will be compostable so can be buried in the forest to feed the plants and biodegrade. 

In front of the lockers is a rock formation seating area to rest on when transitioning from the lockers to the pool or vice versa.

I will rely mainly on natural light filtering in through the forest to make the space feel like a natural forest bath.

Everything in the space will be made from natural materials achieving a positive environmental impact and a natural atmosphere making the space a perfect place to escape and relax.

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The feedback I got on my presentation was i need to walk the group through my design and be more interactive with my model rather than relying on my notes. I also need a sturdier model so its easy to inspect and pass around and it wont fall apart.

I also found that as I tilted the full model to show the group, the forest slid off the block. We will need to find a way of securing it in place as we present to stop this from happening in the final presentation. Im thinking something along the lines of velcro would do the trick.

I also think I need to speak more to the ideas of my design rather than what can be seen in the model.

In class we sketched out some drawings of different parts of our design that show, incorporate and align with the different Te Aranga design principles.

This helped me bring some clarity to how I was incorporating these principles and helped develop my thinking around the design aspects also.

I can hear you
making small holes
in the silence
rain

If I were deaf
the pores of my skin
would open to you
and shut

And I

should know you
by the lick of you
if I were blind

the something
special smell of you
when the sun cakes
the ground

the steady
drum-roll sound
you make
when the wind drops

But if I
should not hear
smell or feel or see
you

you would still
define me
disperse me
wash over me
rain

Hone Tuwhare 1922-2008

Tuwhare explores the sensation rain has on all of his senses. I found that this highlights just how emersive an interaction with water can be.

The effect the poem has is that it surrounds you with the sense of rain telling you the sensations to transport you into a downpour. The language he uses is delicate and intimate creating a peaceful and enjoyable experience making your mind pause and rest in the rain.

In my drawing I tried to show the relationship of the rain and the person and show how one effects the other creating a unique experience of being in the rain.

I will definitely take into consideration the highly immersive nature that water can have on a person and carefully consider how my design effects the bathers and their senses.