- Project: Ember Bath House
- Architect: Studio Traces
- Location: Australia, Osborne Park, Perth, Western Australia
- Year: 2024
- Photography: Dion Robeson
Location & Context
Located in Osborne Park, a suburban pocket of Perth, Ember Bath House inhabits a converted industrial shell that Studio Traces transformed into an architectural sanctuary. The existing warehouse structure provided a raw framework—its heavy concrete walls and tall volumes became the backbone for a space designed to slow the body and heighten the senses.
Program & User Journey
The layout unfolds as a sequence of ritual zones—thermal baths, sauna, cold plunge, and steam chambers—each one gradually dimming light and sound. Visitors pass from a luminous entry threshold into darker chambers, guided by soft lighting and tactile surfaces. The transition evokes the meditative rhythm of traditional Japanese onsen and Turkish hammams, reinvented for contemporary wellness culture.
Design Brief & Constraints
The challenge of working with a windowless warehouse became a creative advantage. Instead of introducing natural light, Studio Traces embraced darkness as a design material—using shadow to heighten spatial awareness and stillness. The result is a cocoon-like architecture that eliminates time cues and creates a floating sense of presence.
Design Concept
Ritual & Narrative
The design narrative draws from global bathing traditions—Japanese, Turkish, and Ayurvedic—where cleansing and stillness are cultural rituals. Each spatial layer represents a threshold in this journey: from social entry zones to private introspective spaces, culminating in deep immersion within mineral water and warm stone textures.
Light & Shadow
Lighting becomes the primary architectural instrument. Every spotlight, reflection, and glow carries intent. Dim ambient lights mark transitions, while pools and carved basins glisten as sculptural anchors. In the absence of daylight, perception becomes attuned to temperature, echo, and texture—a choreography of sensory cues.
Emotional Atmosphere
The interplay of warmth and darkness evokes an atmosphere of grounding and renewal. Water, stone, and sound form a sensory triad. The architects speak of “ethereal subconscious healing,” where the mind quiets and attention returns to the body’s rhythm. It’s a place to feel rather than see.
Materials & Architectural Details
Structural Retention
The original concrete shell remains exposed, celebrating its industrial honesty. Retaining its rough materiality ensured the project stayed connected to its origins while reducing unnecessary demolition waste. The texture of concrete, contrasted with stone and timber, enhances the tactile quality of each space.
Natural Anchors
Massive quarry stones, carefully selected for their shape and mineral tones, punctuate the interiors as grounding elements. They act as both sculpture and orientation points, subtly guiding the visitor’s flow through the dimly lit labyrinth of spaces.
Craft & Reuse
Studio Traces collaborated with local artisans for custom stone basins, benches, and metalwork. Reused timber joinery and repurposed furnishings minimize waste, while linens, tiles, and finishes are deliberately subdued to maintain a calm visual field.
Lighting & Atmosphere
Artificial Illumination
In the absence of daylight, light is sculpted to articulate emotion. Diffuse ambient lighting softens the visual field, while accent beams highlight rough textures and reflective surfaces. The bathhouse becomes an experiential gradient—dark to bright, cool to warm, silence to sound.
Wayfinding through Shadow
Light levels subtly indicate transitions, eliminating the need for signage. A gentle glow beyond a corridor signals the next chamber, inviting curiosity and calm movement. The architecture becomes intuitive, navigated by instinct rather than instruction.
User Experience & Interiors
Spatial Progression
Each chamber offers a shift in sensory tone—temperature, humidity, material. From entry vestibules to plunge pools and saunas, the rhythm alternates between compression and release. This pattern supports both physical restoration and psychological grounding.
Tactility & Acoustics
Textures are crucial: polished concrete against rough stone, soft fabrics against dense mass. Sound is subdued through material absorption, amplifying the sound of dripping water or footsteps on stone—every detail reinforcing stillness and presence.
Ritual & Pause
The spatial composition encourages slowness. There are no clocks, mirrors, or distractions—only light, scent, and temperature shifts. The visitor’s attention returns to breathing and being, a core principle of Studio Traces’ approach to wellness design. For readers looking to create a similar atmosphere at home, explore these spa-inspired bathroom design ideas that bring everyday serenity into personal spaces.
Sustainability & Innovation
Material Reuse & Local Sourcing
Reclaimed joinery and secondhand furnishings embody the studio’s sustainability ethos. Locally sourced stones and materials reduce transport emissions, while reusing the existing structure limits new carbon output. The project’s thermal and bathing elements also echo principles seen in modern sauna design ideas — combining ancient rituals with contemporary material sensibility.
Wellness as Architectural Strategy
Unlike commercial spas focused on aesthetics, Ember Bath House integrates wellness into every decision—from sensory acoustics to lighting psychology. The project exemplifies how architecture itself can heal by cultivating slowness and reconnection.
Conclusion
Ember Bath House Studio Traces represents a rare synthesis of architectural discipline and emotional resonance. It redefines the wellness typology—not as luxury, but as ritual introspection grounded in material authenticity. Through darkness, tactility, and sound, Studio Traces creates a modern sanctuary that invites quiet renewal at the heart of Perth. Its moody palette and immersive design align seamlessly with emerging interior design trends for 2025, where wellness, minimalism, and material honesty converge.
