Normandy Private SPA

architectural

and

interior

design

studio

AREA

500 m²

LOCATION

Normandy, France

Dates

Summer '26

WHAT WE DID

Interior Design Concept
Architectural Drawings
Landscape Concept

Space

The project sits within the established grounds of a historic estate in Normandy, France. Surrounded by dense, mature pine canopies and damp northern air, the site already featured an existing log-walled bathhouse. The architectural challenge was to integrate an Asian-inspired design language into the Norman estate context, creating an adjacent, highly private wellness pavilion that operates under its own distinct spatial logic.

The Brief

The client required a functional architectural expansion of the existing bathhouse to accommodate dedicated zones for family rest and recovery. The programmatic layout includes: an outdoor dining and barbecue area, an adaptable lounging gazebo, outdoor bathing facilities featuring integrated showers, and a private indoor sanctuary for professional massage therapies.

Concept

The core design approach is anchored in a rigorous stylistic synthesis - introducing the meditative, disciplined geometries of Asian minimalism to the rustic texture of the Norman estate. The architecture deliberately screens out the surrounding landscape to establish a protective, inward-focused volume. By employing a continuous grid of dark timber slats and sliding partitions, the pavilion maintains a clear, sequential flow between the interior rooms and the dedicated outdoor functional zones.

Adaptable Gazebo

The heart of the pavilion is an adaptable outdoor living space defined by a continuous timber-lathed ceiling. Equipped with sliding partitions, the gazebo effortlessly transforms from a completely enclosed, intimate room focused around a central fireplace into a wide-open pavilion open to the air. Tucked into the perimeter, a fully appointed outdoor kitchen can be completely hidden from sight when the culinary ritual concludes.

The Bathing Ritual

The thermal sequence unfolds along an unbroken path pivoting off the original banya’s log walls. Stepping from the steam, the ritual begins with a traditional cold-water bucket plunge, transitioning immediately to a outdoor showers recessed into split-face natural stone. The deck then guides the body to a raw stone bath and a monumental cedar hot tub vat backed by a structural wall of stacked firewood. Flanked by sun loungers and a suspended swing, this recovery loop flows directly into the indoor massage sanctuary.

Materials

The material palette relies on raw, tactile textures to ground the meditative atmosphere. Surfaces are dominated by dark-stained timber, and black textured stone, which flows from the outdoor terraces into the interior rooms to reinforce design continuity.

Massage Cabinet

The wellness sequence ends in a minimalist treatment room drawn from Japanese restraint. A custom timber massage table sits at the center, framed by full-height windows lined with horizontal black louvers. The screens filter the northern French daylight into rhythmic bands of shadow

creative force behind

Our task was to move away from the historic look of the chateau. We used the principles of traditional Asian architecture to create the desired atmosphere. By wrapping the spaces in a continuous grid of dark wood and raw stone, the architecture takes on the distinct characteristics of a strict Asian style

Liubov Tuzovska

Founder & Chief of Design