Norwegian Wood: Sailing, Sustainable living and a Sylvan Sauna
Every year, Rich Anderson of Norwegian Wood sails between the fjords of Norway and the shores of Wales to share traditional building skills with local communities. This summer, we joined forces with Rich to create a unique sylvan sauna - A traditional ‘grindbygg’ log cabin; handcrafted by Rich and fully fitted by our expert sauna builders. We caught up with Rich to learn more about his nomadic lifestyle, and how natural building, teaching, sauna bathing and outdoor adventure come together to create a timeless philosophy for holistic health… And yes, the sauna is for sale.
The Magic of Sailing, Sustainable Building and a Seasonally Nomadic Life
Norwegian Wood is a sustainable building and education company with an ethos based on the principles of sustainability, accessibility and physical and mental health. Rich set up the company in 2022, with a mission to bridge vernacular building cultures between Norway and the UK and share practical skills and practices that enhance wellbeing. In doing this, Rich has forged a semi-nomadic lifestyle that also accommodates his passion for sailing - twice a year, he charts a course between Wales and Norway, teaching and learning in both countries.
This seasonal rhythm offers a variety of experience and opportunity, and it embodies a commitment to cross-cultural connection and sustainable living. But on a personal level, Rich’s bi-annual maritime adventure also provides much needed time to reflect and reconnect with the elements.
“I really connect with that deep magic of sailing, of being shunted along across the waves by the elements, nothing else pushing you forward… And there are those incredible moments when you anchor-up in an isolated cove in the north-west of Scotland, you step off the boat and you’re in the middle of wilderness - and you realise how lucky and privileged you are to be able to experience that.”
Bringing Natural Building to Sauna Culture
Rich’s occupation, natural building, emphasises the use of locally available, sustainable materials and techniques that work in harmony with the environment, with an aim to create structures that contribute to a healthier, more sustainable way of living. Traditional Grindbygg roundwood timber framing is a centuries-old craft that engages the body as well as the mind. It’s a rewarding physical, outdoor activity that requires teamwork, focus and resilience. As Rich explains, in many ways, this merges seamlessly with sauna culture, as part of a holistic approach to a happy, healthy lifestyle.
“Bringing log building to sauna culture makes a lot of sense to me. It’s part of a kind of holistic approach to living, where health is just part and parcel of what you do - it’s not something you go and check with a doctor every now and then. Instead you are surrounding yourself with people, materials and practices that all build and maintain health. So natural building is part of that system, it’s part of that way of life.”
A traditional sauna enthusiast himself, Rich has spent time in Northern Europe where saunas are an essential part of the culture.
“The Finish, they won’t ask you how was your sauna, they’ll ask you how was your Loyly. Loyly (as Heartwood would know) is the steam. But the word doesn’t just mean steam, it also means spirit. And the spirit of the sauna is what makes it - so a good sauna to me isn’t about temperature, as much as the right mix of temperature and steam. That sound when the water hits the rock, that’s the ultimate ‘ah’; that’s the out breath.”
The Sylvan Sauna
An immersive rustic retreat, the Sylvan sauna is our unique one-off collaboration with
Norwegian Wood,
offering a sauna bathing experience like no other.
What’s more, it’s fully built and ready to deliver now.
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The Sylvan sauna’s unique structure stands as a testament to the artistry of a time-honoured building tradition from Northern Europe. The ‘Gringbygg’ log frame is completed with a handcrafted locally grown cedar and Douglas fir door and traditional cedar shingles on the twin-pitched roof.
The porch area provides shelter, and the overhanging roof and roundwood timber walls give the sauna a charming exterior that feels very much at home in a natural environment. Inside, the natural curves of the spruce logs create a grounding atmosphere that nurtures a connection with nature and the age-old ritual of sauna bathing.
The smooth Douglas fir benches provide a comfortable place to rest, with clean lines and a simple elegant corner that contrasts the rustic aesthetic of the exposed structural timber. The rectangular picture window offers a view out into nature, and the wood-fired HUUM ‘HIVE heat’ stove provides a focal point and ideal surface for the generation of steam.
The Sylvan sauna is fully off-grid, seats 3 people comfortably, and offers an intimate, grounding retreat that feels a world away from the stresses of modern life.
FEATURES
Comfortably seats up to 3 people
Traditional ‘Grindbygg’ style roundwood timber sitka spruce log structure
Large double-glazed picture window in the back wall
Fitted with a 12kW HUUM HIVE heat wood-fired sauna stove
Douglas fir bench seating
Locally-grown cedar bench fronts
Overhanging porch area with Douglas fir floor
Locally grown cedar and Douglas fir solid door
Twin pitched premium cedar shingle roof
Built on a moveable base
Sauna Dimensions
Length 2.7m
Width 2.3m
Height 2.7m
Wood-fired HUUM Stove
Max. length of firewood - 350mm
Heats up to 70° Celsius in 75 minutes
Heater output - 13kW
Max. stone capacity - 90kg