Designing Purpose Built Wellness Spaces
On a New Year's Retreat in Goa, India, I met three beautiful people who were in the process of building a meaningful wellness space in Riehen, Switzerland; Nicolas Hünerwadel, Founder of Hunerwadel Architecture Studio, his wife Eunice Hünerwadel-Kuwornu, and one of my new-found favorite people, Stephen Thomas.
A well-known yoga teacher, Stephen specializes in Traditional Hatha Yoga, Classical Yoga, Pranayama, and Buddhist teaching traditions. He has lived and practiced in areas throughout South East Asia and India, following some of his central teachers on his ongoing exploration of life.
Stephen taught most of the New Year Retreat goers back in Zurich, including Nicolas and Eunice, where the concept of wellness space, Sutra House, first started to build consciousness and energy.
Having traveled worldwide to many amazing retreats and workshops, mainly all within Asia, Nicolas and Eunice realized there wasn't anything quite like what they experienced in Europe. For them, it always meant getting on a plane and flying halfway around the world to be immersed in wellness spaces.
With Nicolas's expertise in architecture and Stephen's dedication to yogic and spiritual practices, it was the perfect team to create an intentionally designed space for connection, contemplation, and nourishment of the mind.
"We created Sutra House with the vision for a space that supports and promotes an integrated, meaningful and healthy relationship to our life," explains Nicolas. "This includes various types of inner-work, and it's complemented by art, food, yoga, insight, meditation, therapy, and contemplation."
Sitting on the edge of the forest of Ausserberg in Riehen, Switzerland, a 1930s house that once belonged to an older man; a neighbor who had developed a strong bond with Nicolas and Eunice, and who had no family or children of his own, left the house to them to do something special with. The one condition, the house needed to remain intact.
Sutra House became a passion project for Nicolas, thoughtfully considering every detail with love and respect. The home's positive and unique energy made him confident that this was a special place to do 'the work,' a place where you felt like you 'had arrived' when you entered.
Meaning 'connection' Sutra House offers a unique space to do just that, connect.
Switzerland is known for its simplistic and practical design, carefully curated stylish materials, and sustainable approach. And Sutra House was no exception. Purposefully built with room height windows, natural daylight penetrates the rooms, and natural pine laces the air with the most beautiful fresh fragrance of nature.
Pine is a renewable resource – regrowth happens swiftly, meaning forests can be replenished quickly. And although a softwood, pine is durable and long-lasting, providing a natural-looking aesthetic, and is, of course, familiar to Switzerland.
There are rooms for treatment on the lower levels, a Finnish dry sauna, Turkish steam rooms, and herbal steam baths tubs. The open kitchen allows for communal eating as well as group cooking lessons or demonstrations.
The spacious upper meditation and yoga studio features floor-to-ceiling pine with a sky-light opening east to west for mesmerizing views of the sunrise and sunset, making it the perfect place to bring the practices to life.
There are several areas for contemplation, including the Library and the Salon Room. Its central fireplace and beautiful open views to the south and west are the perfect setting for large gatherings, open discussions, and group meals. And two comfortably appointed guest rooms can be used for overnight retreat guests.
Throughout, scenic underground windows overlook the infinity pool, providing opportunities for contemplation and reflection, and when the water reflects onto the walls, it gives an allure of color. Plus, the windows' sinuous shapes break up any sharp edges, keeping the minimalistic design soft and nurturing.
Yet, it's the terraced outdoor area with a surrounding garden, refreshing infinity pool, and a natural pond that delights with the outdoor garden growing medicinal herbs and plants used during retreats.
What I love about purpose-built wellness spaces is the care, attention, and personal love that goes into making it a passion project. Something I believe we can all relate to when we put our hearts and minds into building our dreams, just like Nicolas, Eunice, and Stephen did.