Just outside of Icklesham is the local area’s only off-grid, wood-fired sauna. Joe Williams has built the sauna as an addition to his biodynamic farm, providing a service for the local community.
The Off Grid Sauna is very different to those found in other places, Joe explains. “Gym or commercial saunas are typically small, electrically heated indoor rooms. They suffer from stagnant air, poor hygiene, foul odours and inadequate room height. As an architectural designer I studied traditional Finnish sauna and applied it to the Off Grid Sauna rather than trying to fit centuries of design experience into a small horse box, as is so often the case.”
The sauna itself is built with recycled stud work, sweet chestnut from a local sawmill. The bamboo roof design reflects Joe’s experience working with this strong, light material, which he has used to create a veranda. The door is based on traditional sauna dimensions and locks in warm air more efficiently. Inside the sauna, fresh air is pulled into the sauna via a vacuum, created by the wood-fired stove. Around this is a thermal mass of river stones to create heat and steam. There are three tiers of benches and all these elements are designed to help produce a steam the Finns call Loyly. Phones are discouraged to make visitors immerse in the moment. The sauna is designed to raise the body’s heart rate and open skin pores before using a spring water plunge pool. This allows a drop in the body temperature to give the cardiovascular system a workout, releasing more endorphins, before entering the sauna again.
Visitors can book for solo or social sessions. Membership is on offer and visitors can stay for two sessions at a time. In the summer, visitors can sunbathe or read a book in the sauna garden. In the allotted time, cinnamon tea, water and fruit is provided during breaks. Joe also offers an eco concession ticket to anyone who cycles and walks to the sauna. Those who do come on foot have the opportunity to walk across fields to the new Racketeers microbrewery from Thursday to Sunday.
Like Joe’s inspiration from Finland, one is more attuned to the local and community experience. He has been overwhelmed by the positive feedback he’s received from the community and is looking forward to hosting more visitors to the sauna. “The Off Grid Sauna is a visceral escape into nature at any time of the week, rain or shine. Social saunas can also be a welcoming social experience. I think more sober social spaces like this are good for our tolerance and growing social anxiety, sitting in silence or in quiet respectful conversation with strangers leaves you feeling safe. We have a range of social slots, such as an all-women’s social sauna on Fridays at 3pm and we welcome children when supervised by parents during private sessions making a fun holiday activity for the family.”
The sauna is being managed towards biodiversity. It presents a unique space for the locals of Rye and surrounding towns. Joe is very keen that the sauna serves the local community while also paying attention to sustainable practices. “Sustainability is at the heart of all my designs and is interwoven at every stage; locally-sourced materials have become more competitive as imported timber costs rise and this trend will only continue. We should make the most of locally coppiced timber. The whole site is off grid and the sauna is built with solar-powered tools and by a cabbage-powered human!”
You can find out more here.
Image Credits: Joe Williams, Off Grid Sauna .