Niemelä Tenant Farm

Smoke Hut | 1844

The Finnish smoke hut is a single building within a larger settlement. Due to the wide availability of timber most the buildings were built out of it. Due to this villages often burnt down every 40-50 years and were rebuilt in different locations where timber was available.

The main living residence was built in three stages. The first stage was the smoke hut “tupa” which was a temporary living space till the adjacent “Pirtti” was built for cooking, living and sleeping where the tupe was converted to a sauna space. The two buildings were finally linked by roofing the in-between space – the “porstua”.

The standard type of sauna, which has remained unchanged through centuries, is the rectangular one-room log hut that houses an open rock stove and a raised platform. The communal sauna was an essential building within these villages and a vital factor in farmers’ daily lives as living off the grudging land with a growing season of only 4 months was hard. In Finland the sauna was used for all stages of life; heating, birth, socialising and health. Yet, sweat bathing only required heating of small amounts of water – far less than what is required to fill a tub.

Centuries of knowledge on log construction along with vast wood reserves enabled Finns to build long-lasting wooden dwellings and be generous with heating. Pine, fir and aspen were the most commonly used types of wood. Pine is one of the most robust and strong coniferous breeds that possess resistance to rotting, high thermal capacity and gas permeability. Its valuable dense structure makes for good construction material.

The layers of a sauna construction

Exploring the potential of traditional timber construction

The vernacular sauna is an interesting sustainable building typology socially, culturally and in materiality. These log constructions are moveable and adaptable starting with one small cabin and a second structure being added later. The combined sauna and adjacent living room separated by the “porstua” created a thermal buffer zone which stabilizes heat loss. This contemporary example is heavily influenced by many of these principles including the introduction of a modern porstua as well as the extensive use of wood as construction and finishing material, influenced from the historical use of local tarred timber to preserve the building further.

Sauna & Guesthouse / Mer Architects
Pentala, Finland | 2018

Sauna as a spiritual place

Understanding the culturally sustainable role of the sauna

The sauna building itself is rich in social and cultural sustainability as a multi-functional space. Not only was it used for hygiene purposes with many significant events occurring within the room, but it also served as a spiritual and contemplative space. While the natural timber has structural properties, it also creates an excellent indoor atmosphere both in terms of touch, smell and aesthetics. Additionally, limited openings had functional purposes for ventilation and light but also added to the atmosphere. While this contemporary example is a church, the design of the building is very reminiscent of the sauna. While being sustainable, it also embodies the social and cultural aspects which are core to the sauna culture of Finland.

Kärsämäki Church / OOPEAA
Kärsämäki, Finland | 2004