Åland Saunas was shaped by a few defining experiences for Jonathan Julien.

A century-old Finnish sauna, discovered while a graduate student at the Rhode Island School of Design—set along a lake and opened each weekend.

First, people gathered—families, friends, different cultures, sometimes three generations at once. The rhythm was simple: heat, water, rest, conversation. The effect was lasting.

A second Sauna experience while traveling between Finland and Sweden, moving through the Åland archipelago.

For hours, the ferry passed through thousands of islands—always in view. Island after island, each like a quiet haven.

From these came a question: What would it mean to build a sauna as lasting architecture—something that could be lived with, moved with, and passed on?