Sauna Design & Builds — Insiteflo | North Vancouver Island Design-Build Studio
Phase 06 — Build

Sauna Design & Builds

Custom saunas built for the way you live. Indoor or outdoor, traditional or modern — calibrated to your climate, your aesthetic, and your wellness goals.

Designed for coastal climate and year-round use
Wood-fired and electric — both done properly
Freestanding, attached, or integrated builds
Sauna Design & Builds
NVI Built for coast
4 Service scopes
2 Heat types
What We Build

Heat, done right

01
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Indoor Saunas

Custom indoor sauna rooms built within your home — in a bathroom, basement, or dedicated wellness room. Fully lined in western red cedar or hemlock, with proper vapour barrier, ventilation, and lighting designed for the long haul.

Cedar Lined Vapour Barrier Bench Design Ventilation
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Outdoor Saunas

Freestanding sauna structures — barrel saunas, cabin saunas, and custom pod builds — designed for NVI coastal conditions. Thermally modified cladding, heavy insulation, and proper footings that handle the rain, wind, and salt air without deteriorating.

Freestanding Coastal Cladding Insulated Proper Footings
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Wood-Fired & Electric

Both heat sources done properly. Wood-fired kiuas with proper chimney sizing, clearances, and firebox proportions for the room volume. Electric heaters sized and wired correctly, with the right stone load for proper steam. We do not cut corners on either.

Kiuas Sizing Chimney Detail Electric Wiring Stone Load
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Custom Builds

Saunas integrated into larger build projects — off a master bathroom, connected to a pool deck, or combined with cold plunge and shower facilities. Wellness spaces designed holistically rather than as standalone boxes dropped into a plan.

Integrated Design Cold Plunge Pool Deck Wellness Suite
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Click any scope to explore what is included

How It Works

Our sauna process

01
Discovery

Brief & Site

We start with how you want to use the sauna — solo or social, daily ritual or occasional, integrated into your home or separate from it. Site conditions, power availability, and your aesthetic direction are established before any design work begins.

Half day
02
Design

Sauna Design

Floor plan, bench configuration, heater placement, ceiling height, glazing, and exterior form all documented in drawings. Heat source is confirmed — wood-fired kiuas or electric heater — and sized correctly for the room volume and intended use.

3 to 7 days
03
Permits

Permit Coordination

Freestanding structures over a certain size require a building permit in most NVI municipalities. Electrical connection requires a permit regardless of structure type. We coordinate both, ensuring the sauna is permitted, inspected, and compliant from day one.

2 to 6 weeks depending on municipality
04
Build

Structure & Envelope

Foundation or footings, framing, insulation, vapour barrier, and exterior cladding built for coastal durability. For outdoor saunas — thermally modified wood, standing seam metal roofing, and proper flashing details that will not fail in the NVI climate.

1 to 3 weeks
05
Finishing

Interior & Commissioning

Cedar or hemlock lining, bench installation, heater installation and commissioning, lighting, and door hardware. First fire and heat test with you present — confirming everything performs correctly before we hand over the keys.

3 to 5 days
Let's Talk About Your Sauna

Book a Discovery Call

Every sauna starts with how you want to use it. Indoor or outdoor, wood-fired or electric, solo ritual or social space — tell us your vision and we will design a build that performs for the coast and lasts for decades.