LAND Arquitectos designed this contemporary spa located in Las Condes, Santiago, Chile. This single-storey building is named Spa Atrapa Árbol, which translates as Catch Tree Spa, because it wraps around a courtyard and tree. The 2010 project features a prominent use of glass as well as a garden where capers, lavender, rosemary and other herbs and vegetables are grown for use in the facility. The sauna is located on the glazed north side of the building and overlooks an outdoor terrace. I really love these floor to ceiling glass walls. Located in the private garden of the owner, the spa is not expose to anything except trees and plants. Moreover, the sauna faces a green-covered wall…so noone can see. The sauna facing north to raise their internal temperature. The garden is designed for the collection of species and food species such as Capers, Lavender, Rosemary creeping Laurel eating, herbs, and a place to farm. Thus, the landscape is an “active landscape,” meaning that it is a landscape that fulfills more functions that exist only to be observed.
