Abstract:
Bathing at a fundamental level is desired for two attributes
cleansing the body, and cleansing the soul. Historically the act of
bathing has been a combination of hot and cold water bathing;
this act cleanses both the body and soul, and is seen as an
enjoyable pastime for both eastern and western cultures. The
priority then is to architecturally express the 'body and soul'
through a careful material selection. The choice of materials
reflects this, concrete and bamboo, expressing the solid (body)
and the light (soul).
Design precedents, material comparison, eastern and
western beliefs are used to establish a rationale between the
material contrast of body and soul. The location for the design
reflects the natural connection between 'body and soul' in a
location that references the land and water, geothermal and
steam, lake and landscape.
The final project includes detailing of non-penetrating
fixings for the use in bamboo construction, including natural and
industrial products into a public bath that compliments the body
and the soul.
