"Rupert McKelvie's latest creation sits somewhere between architectural statement and wellness refuge. The Aquila, a mobile sauna from his Devon-based studio Out of the Valley, transforms the traditional Finnish ritual into something you can tow behind a truck. It's taking heat therapy to lakesides, coastal cliffs, and forest clearings across the United Kingdom, proving that proper bathing culture doesn't need permanent foundations."
"Built on a double-axle trailer measuring just 3.8 meters in length, this compact structure seats six people and runs entirely off-grid. Black larch cladding covers the exterior, treated using yakisugi, the Japanese charring technique that both protects the wood and creates that striking carbonized finish. The roof folds down using a mechanical system that took multiple prototypes to get right. McKelvie admits it was the hardest part of the build, requiring constant testing to ensure the mechanism could handle repeated setup and breakdown without fail."
"McKelvie started Out of the Valley six years ago after building his first timber cabin as a personal escape near Dartmoor National Park. That project sparked something bigger, evolving into a full design-build practice focused on handcrafted structures that work with natural materials rather than against them. The Aquila marks the studio's most ambitious output so far, earning recognition this year with a longlisting at the Dezeen Awards 2025 in the Product Design category for Health, Wellbeing and Wearables."
Aquila is a compact, towable sauna built on a 3.8-meter double-axle trailer that seats six and operates entirely off-grid. Exterior cladding uses yakisugi-treated black larch for protection and a carbonized finish, while interior walls are lined with thermally modified alder to resist warping under extreme temperature shifts. A 16-kilowatt Narvi wood-burning stove provides authentic heat, and solar panels supply LED lighting. The roof folds down via a tested mechanical system engineered for repeated setup and breakdown. The project grew from a timber cabin practice into a design-build studio and achieved longlisting in the Dezeen Awards 2025 Product Design—Health category.
Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News
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