Glasgow Community Sauna team build an affordable and accessible space using reclaimed wood

Can you tell us about the ethos of the Glasgow Community Sauna and how that led you to Glasgow Wood?

“Glasgow Community Sauna was established to make sauna and cold plunge affordable and accessible to the people of Glasgow.

Based at the back of the Pollokshields Bowling Green, we’re right next to their beautiful community garden on McCulloch Street. From the start of the project, we knew we wanted to build it in a way that reflected the values of the Bowling Green: making use of what’s already around us to keep things as sustainable as possible.

That’s what led us to Glasgow Wood. It’s been great to use wood that’s already had a life and to give it a new purpose as part of the sauna build and changing rooms.”

Can you tell us about the requirements for the sauna, how you met them and with what materials?

“Because we’re in Scotland, it was so important that the materials could withstand the elements. But it was equally important that the space felt warm and inviting!

For the changing rooms, we built everything from reclaimed wood, including around 40 garden gates. After dismantling, de-nailing and cutting the gates to size, we used the Japanese technique Yakisugi which helps protect it from rain and rot while giving it a lovely dark grain and texture. Then, they were sanded and oiled for maximum protection.”

Watch the technique in action here!

“And a special detail to note: after seeing the whisky barrel staves in your timber yard, Maté had a great idea to use them as the handles for doors.”

Was there any particularly memorable moments from the build?

“Seeing Maté and the team spending endless hours sanding and de-nailing those 40 old garden gates really sticks in my mind!

It was a serious labour of love and he built himself a shelter out of old palettes and a tarp which he basically lived under with his puppy Ivy for 3 weeks. Once we started oiling the wood and saw the grain come back to life, it all felt completely worth it.”

From the whole process, can you tell us what you’re most proud of?

“We’re really proud that the changing rooms are made almost entirely from reclaimed materials, and that something so beautiful could come out of what was basically a heap of old gates and waste wood.

Seeing the finished space now the textures, the smell of the wood and knowing how much collective effort went into it that’s the best part by far.”

Can you tell us how you transformed a 30-year-old horse box into a sauna?

“We started out with a horse box covered with rust and rot. After 2 months of re-building the walls, cleaning and grinding off the rust, we added insulation and a vapour barrier before cladding with special sauna wood. Then it was painted and our logo added!

We also used reclaimed Larch from your timber yard for the front, and it’s one of the details that everyone comments on. It looks so great and just ties the whole thing together really nicely.”