Scandinavian Sauna: A place you always leave feeling better

Scandinavian Sauna designs high-end saunas that blend traditional Scandinavian design with modern, mobile solutions. Its innovative saunas offer an architecturally designed wellness experience built from premium materials.

After years of intense work in London’s architecture industry, Swedish architect Jakob Gate and Danish design project leader Cecilie Wang found themselves seeking a change. The couple made a bold decision to quit their jobs and move to the Philippines, where they set up architecture firm Native Narrative. For two years, they worked closely with local NGOs, building educational centres for children. This experience in practical, community-oriented architecture significantly influenced their approach to design.

Upon returning to Scandinavia in 2018, the couple’s reacclimatisation to the cold climate rekindled their love for saunas. “That first winter back in Scandinavia was brutal, it felt like we only managed to stay healthy by being in the sauna every day. We just felt so cold here,” recalls Cecilie. Not surprising, after years in the tropical heat of the Far East.

Having grown up using saunas with their families, both Jakob and Cecilie were reacquainted with this essential part of Scandinavian life. One day, while warming up in a barrel sauna, they found themselves inspired to use their architectural skills to improve the many design flaws. This sparked the idea of developing the perfect mobile sauna, leading to the founding of Scandinavian Sauna in 2019.

The couple combined their expertise to create high-end, mobile saunas that blend traditional Scandinavian design with modern, mobile solutions. The premium saunas cater to a growing market of European and Japanese enthusiasts, offering an architecturally designed wellness experience built from premium materials. “Many mobile saunas were compromised in the name of mobility,” Jakob says. “We refused to do that, so we offer mobile units that are as solid as high-end stationary saunas.”

Commitment to community, environment and well-being

The mobile saunas are constructed in fully certified timber, emphasising the founders’ commitment to community, environment and well-being. Jakob states, “We come from a charity architecture studio, so community and health mean a lot to us.”

The first sauna client provided invaluable feedback. After two years of daily use and refining the design, it was not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional and robust. “This process of continuous improvement and client collaboration is central to everything we do, not just as professionals but also as people,” confirms Cecilie.

Feedback from clients has been overwhelmingly positive. Some liken the saunas to fine furniture, while others value the immediate return on investment they provide. As Jakob notes, “Many of our clients are hotels and rental businesses who love the fact that they can buy a sauna and have an instant pop-up business, seeing a return on investment within an hour of delivery.”

There was nothing like it on the market and the design quickly gained interest from all over the world, not only in colder regions but also in warmer countries like Singapore, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, and Australia.

A different way of socialising with friends and family

The saunas are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative place to meet, a different way of socialising with friends and family, and a new way to switch off and recharge. “It’s a wonderful place to gather with the whole family,” says Cecilie, reflecting on their childhood experiences.

The success, however, came with its own set of challenges. The unique design of Scandinavian Sauna started to get replicated, a testament to its popularity but a point of contention. “Seeing our design, which we put so much into, being copied is frustrating, but in the end, it has pushed us to keep innovating and designing even better saunas,” says Jakob, emphasising their commitment to originality, innovation, and craftsmanship.

Looking to the future, Cecilie adds, “We enjoy learning from our clients, and now, with quite a few out there, the feedback we get is making our product even stronger. It’s a bit like the car industry which comes out with new updates yearly, only we’re not waiting a year but updating our design as soon as we gain new insights.”

At the moment, the couple is working on several bespoke projects, mobile units but also garden saunas and even a larger high-end spa. “We enjoy pushing the sauna market even further, while improving health and well-being along the way,” concludes Jakob. “Our sauna is a place you always leave feeling better!”

Interested readers are invited to experience a Scandinavian Sauna firsthand by visiting the open-air showroom in southern Denmark to see for themselves how custom sauna design can enhance their lifestyle or business.

Web: www.scandinaviansauna.dk
Facebook: scandinaviansauna.dk
Instagram: @scandinavian_sauna