Bath and the Body, Bamboo and the Soul

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.