The Hottest Sauna Design: When a Sauna Becomes More Than Just a Steam Room

A good sauna is more than just a steam room. It is created through the combination of architecture, materials, light, nature, and an excellent sauna experience. This idea also inspired the Factory.Sale and HUUM sauna design competition, “The Hottest Sauna Design”, which invited submissions from individuals and companies who see a sauna as something more than simply a functional space.

The competition received a wide variety of sauna ideas – completed saunas, projects still in development, and carefully considered design concepts. When selecting the winner, we were primarily looking for a solution where the sauna would not stand alone as a separate room, but would instead form a cohesive whole with the architecture, usability, and surrounding environment.

The winner of the competition was Etnika Home’s Zen Sauna House.

A Tiny House Inspired the Idea for an Equally Cohesive Sauna

Etnika Home is an Estonian manufacturer of tiny houses. Its product range includes the premium 60 m² Antara tiny house with a glass façade, as well as the smaller Zen model with its distinctive architecture. The winning sauna house was developed directly from the Zen concept.

According to the founder of Etnika Home, the idea for the Zen Sauna House emerged from a very natural need. The Zen tiny house already existed, but there was a desire to create an additional space alongside it where people could enjoy a proper sauna experience while living and relaxing in nature.

“The idea for the Zen Sauna House came from the desire to offer the opportunity to enjoy a sauna alongside the Etnika Zen house,” he explains. From the very beginning, it was therefore important that the two buildings would speak the same design language and feel like one cohesive whole.

Comfort and functionality were just as important as appearance. In addition to the steam room, the sauna house includes a spacious lounge area where people can sit and relax after the sauna, as well as washing facilities. The idea was simple: a sauna should be a place where you enjoy spending time, not just somewhere you go for the heat.

Natural Wood and a Comfortable Indoor Climate

Wood was the natural material choice for Etnika Home. The Zen Sauna House is built from CLT cross-laminated timber and finished externally with timber cladding. Natural wood also plays a central role in the interior.

Solid timber walls provide durability, but their effect on the atmosphere and indoor climate is equally important. The material choices support the overall concept of the project – creating a natural environment that blends seamlessly with its surroundings.

This sense of cohesion was also one of the main reasons Zen stood out among the competition entries. Here, the sauna is not a separate object, but a natural continuation of the entire architectural concept.

A Good Sauna Should Be a Place You Want to Return To

When asked what makes a good sauna, the founder of Etnika Home quickly focuses on the user experience. A sauna can be visually impressive, but above all, it needs to feel comfortable and enjoyable to spend time in.

“A sauna should be durable and user-friendly – a place that has everything you need to relax and enjoy the sauna experience. And of course, you cannot forget great steam, which is provided by a HUUM heater,” he says.

His description of the perfect sauna evening is equally straightforward: good company, excellent steam, and a comfortable place in which to enjoy it all. That is exactly the kind of experience Zen is designed to offer.

Zen follows this same principle: the value of a sauna does not come from any single element, but from how well all the details work together.

Estonian Design Meets an Estonian Sauna Heater

A HUUM heater was chosen as the heart of the sauna house. For Etnika Home, this was a deliberate choice, as the heater needed to complement the space both in terms of performance and design.

“HUUM heaters combine excellent design with high quality, and their product range offers suitable solutions for different types of saunas,” says the founder of Etnika Home. He also highlights another important connection: “It is also significant that HUUM is an Estonian manufacturer, just like Etnika Home.”

This fits perfectly with the idea behind “The Hottest Sauna Design” competition. A sauna heater does not have to be merely a technical necessity. In a well-designed sauna, it becomes part of the interior and of the overall sauna experience.

The Zen Sauna House Is Nearing Completion

The Etnika Zen tiny house has already been completed, while the sauna house is currently nearing completion. Both solutions are already available to order.

For the founder of Etnika Home, the Zen Sauna House is more than just another product.

“As someone who truly appreciates a good sauna, I designed the Etnika Zen Sauna House to include everything needed for an enjoyable and complete sauna experience,” he says.

That is exactly what made Zen the winner of our “Hottest Sauna Design” competition.

A sauna is not merely a room where people go to enjoy the heat and steam. At its best, it becomes a natural part of the home, the surrounding environment, and a way of life – all forming one cohesive whole.

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