CHOZU BATH & TEA GARDENS - Commercial Space in Ashland, OR
Design & Build, Addition
Classical, Japanese-inspired sauna for a favored Ashland destination
Ilene was my chiropractor at the time, and we had many discussions about Japan, where I lived for two years. I told her about onsens, Japanese hot springs with bathing facilities and inns built around them. When she was in the process of creating a Japanese bath house, she came to me to design and build the sauna.
I am proud of the work there, and so appreciative of Ilene for letting me create a building that transforms Chozu into a destination that lets visitors feel as if they are transported to another place and time. I used authentic joinery on the corners of the building and up in the eaves, and designed the offset siding based on the Golden Ratio or Fibonacci numbers prevalent in Renaissance architecture. Crafted from recycled redwood fencing with lichen still attached, it gives the building the appearance of having stood in that spot for countless years.