Once reserved for luxury hotels and Scandinavian bathhouses, the sauna has well and truly entered Australian wellness culture. And, as homes increasingly double as spaces for exercise, recovery and restoration, the humble sauna is having something of a design moment.

No one knows this better than partners in life and business, Kerli Valk and Brad Mitchel of Nüüd Studio.

The pair have launched Saun, an architecturally designed backyard sauna, constructed from solid Macrocarpa timber sourced from end-of-life Victorian trees.

The design uses a traditional interlocking building method that eliminates the need for additional lining, cladding or synthetic materials.

‘Architecturally, we’ve tried to balance that solid, traditional construction with more refined contemporary detailing,’ explains Brad. ‘Saun is designed and made locally, and we also collaborate with local craftspeople on elements such as the steelwork and finer details, so there is a sense of local making throughout the whole object.’

A custom-forged handle opens a floor-to-ceiling pivot door where traditional three-tier seating (for up to five people) is waiting inside with the option for wood-fired or electric heating.

‘Functionally, we’ve stayed quite close to traditional sauna principles. The benches are arranged over three levels so you can experience different intensities of heat,’ says Kerli. ‘There’s enough room to properly lie down, sit together and spend time in the space, rather than simply treating it as a quick heat session.’

The exterior, in a charred finish, gives the sauna a grounded, monolithic presence.

Kerli and Brad are offering a limited number of Foundation Builds in 2026, each to be built on-site following a one-on-one consultation.

‘Every site is considered individually, particularly in terms of access, foundations, orientation, privacy and its relationship to the garden or surrounding landscape. The footprint itself is relatively compact, so there is quite a lot of flexibility in how and where it can be positioned,’ says Brad.

The pair have tested many iterations of Saun themselves. ‘Building the first prototype was a really important part of that process. We use it ourselves every week, so we’re constantly learning from it and noticing small things that can be improved,’ says Kerli.

Growing up in an Estonian family, Kerli fondly remembers her family’s weekly ritual of using a sauna.

‘It was a place where we slowed down, reconnected and talked — about the best moments of the week, things we were worried about, or whatever was happening in our lives,’ Kerli explains. ‘There was a particular sense of openness and trust that came from simply being there together, without distractions or anywhere else to be.’

Brad and Kerli hope Saun can do the same for others.

‘I think there’s now a growing desire for outdoor spaces that offer something quieter and more restorative as well,’ Brad explains.

‘We’re constantly connected and stimulated by the digital world, but that doesn’t necessarily create opportunities for deeper connection. Saun offers almost the opposite experience. You leave your phone behind, there’s nowhere else to be, and the pace naturally slows down.’

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