A Log Cabin Kit Sauna Is Built Lakeside for a Post-Steam Plunge in Finland

By building a prefab sauna at water’s edge outside Helsinki, a Finnish family can take a steam, and then cool off with a dip in the region’s archipelago.

Jun 14, 2021 - 22:17

A Log Cabin Kit Sauna Is Built Lakeside for a Post-Steam Plunge in Finland

By building a prefab sauna at water’s edge outside Helsinki, a Finnish family can take a steam, and then cool off with a dip in the region’s archipelago.

At the center, the two volumes are separated by a wood deck that overlooks a large lake called Ruotsalainen.

Deeply rooted in Finnish culture, the beloved sauna ritual is one embraced by the entire nation: Most Finns have a sauna in their own home, and apartment buildings often provide a space for a communal steam. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that when Finns build holiday homes, a deluxe sauna cabin is often part of the plan. After seeing a log cabin sauna that Helsinki-based prefab builders Pluspuu had erected for her friend, Hanna Löyttyniemi-Vuorio tasked the firm with building a similar structure for her own family on their plot of land in Heinola.

The Luoto sauna cabin is perfect for lakeside settings where its full-height glazing provides unobstructed views. The structure’s elongated profile blends in with the surrounding shoreline.

Photo by Samuli Miettinen

Since 2017, Pluspuu has used the latest in Finnish log construction technologies to create a range of high-quality prefabs—both homes and saunas—that feature an aesthetic update to the log cabin typology of yore. Hanna chose the company’s Luoto model, a single-story, roughly 290-square-foot structure that comprises a sauna and living space under a single shed roof. For Hanna and her family, Pluspuu customized the model to include floor-to-ceiling windows and doors, and an expanded terrace. "This is how Pluspuu works—we modify our own models according to our customer’s wishes, while also taking into account the requirements of the building site," explains Markku Miettinen, cofounder of the company.