Sparcstudio an unbiased, inventive design studio specialising in spa and wellness design for over 15 years within the spa, wellness, health, lodge, and resort sectors has introduced its key traits in spa design for 2026. Artistic Director, Beverley Bayes explains:
The demand for wellness continues to develop with traders and operators eager to push the boundaries of what could be delivered within the house obtainable. Enhancing amenities with thought-about, sustainable design is nice enterprise sense and appropriately carried out can considerably enhance income and return on funding.
Acoustic wellness and silent structure
Spas are more and more contemplating sound-absorbing structure as a part of the general design to create calm areas. Assume comfortable natural kinds, luxe furnishings, wall hangings and rugs pure soundscapes (like water). This was a development recognized by the World Wellness Institute (GWI) and will probably be a rising consideration for properties within the coming years. As company are searching for a quiet, cocooned skilled, elevated by luxurious, sound design will probably be a precedence. The GWI highlights the significance of lowering mechanical noise and implementing acoustic zoning to assist deep leisure and psychological readability. Efficient acoustic design consists of balancing total sound ranges, integrating soundproofing inside therapy rooms, creating quiet zones in public areas, and utilizing insulation to minimise sound transmission between areas.
Commercials
Pure sound components resembling working water, wind chimes, and curated nature soundscapes will help masks undesirable noise, whereas architectural options together with inexperienced roofs, open courtyards, and residing partitions contribute to the discount of city sound intrusion. The usage of anti-reverberation supplies, resembling felt and terracotta, helps soak up echoes and enhance acoustic consolation.
These acoustic options can even change into distinctive design options. Undulating acoustic ceiling fins or sculpted wall panelling add visible character whereas enhancing sound efficiency. Extra consideration ought to be given to partitions and doorways, guaranteeing they obtain the suitable decibel (dB) rankings. Wherever attainable, drop-down acoustic seals ought to be included into doorways to additional scale back noise switch from corridors. The advantages of considerate acoustic design embody elevated leisure and delight, decreased nervousness, improved sleep high quality, and enhanced assist for deep focus and interior reflection.
Designing areas for longevity programming
Traders are rising longevity as a pathway to enterprise success. They’re contemplating longevity ideas on the outset of the construct and spa designers want to pay attention to this shift. Whereas lifespan and well being programming aren’t proper for each property or visitor profile, that is one thing we’ll start to see increasingly more of within the coming years. World Wellness Summit 2025 targeted its principal theme round longevity so anticipate extra on this house. What this implies for design is that buildings will want to have the ability to home diagnostic gear (giant and small) and provide ample house for session rooms for the medical crew. This concentrate on medical shouldn’t negate the necessity for a softer extra biophilic strategy to color, spatial design and furnishings. It truly turns into extra necessary in order that the house isn’t over medicalised. It’s about putting a high quality stability and contemplating visitor consolation / ease of use across the new gear.
The expansion of restoration programming
Restoration methods and programmes are a key focus for spas, and more and more health
membership operators and resorts, reflecting the massive demand from company and members who recognise the advantages. It’s a key part of latest lodge chains like SIRO which has restoration gear and immersive sleep experiences in lodge rooms. Hilton’s partnership with Hyperice brings its compression boots and percussion remedy instruments into lodge rooms.
New membership golf equipment primarily based round restoration are opening globally, offering therapies past the sauna / ice tub distinction remedy suites, usually incorporating areas for curated programmes / shared rituals which additionally incorporate breath work and yoga. Inside health golf equipment and spas there may be additionally an increase within the demand for personal premium restoration suites for 2 or 4 individuals. Progressive bespoke design and a focus to element can entice a premium fee for these amenities. Areas or zones could be included as an extension to the health house itself within the type of a restoration lounge or an ‘assisted ‘stretch zone much like the ‘Proverb ’provide that we fashioned within the Grainstore Gymnasium at Calcot.
Restoration amenities could be created internally or externally as could be seen is a large rise within the recognition of sauna pods by the ocean or a lake. Good design and the creation of a singular provide that displays the general aesthetic of the ability is essential to the sensation of wellbeing inside a restoration suite, which ought to provide an elevated expertise and round journey with well being advantages for company.
Social wellbeing and the know-how disconnect
The rise of communal sauna tradition is a transparent indicator of a rising need for real social connection. Saunas provide a structured, health-focused option to collect outdoors of conventional social settings resembling bars, eating places, or workplaces. This shift will also be seen throughout wider spa and wellbeing environments, and within the emergence of wellbeing members’ golf equipment. These areas reply to a collective want for connection, stability, and shared expertise.
As designers, we consciously deal with this on the space-planning stage by incorporating areas that facilitate social wellbeing. These may take the type of a mini lounge inside a health house, a comfy area of interest or central seating space inside altering rooms, an anteroom for gathering earlier than or after studio courses, or versatile areas inside spa lounges or cafés designed to loosen up, recharge, and be taught. A superb instance is The Grainstore at Calcot, the place members and company can come collectively to attend native artisan workshops, wellbeing talks, or group craft periods. These experiences concentrate on sustainable, aware, and personalised creation — sometimes called “cosy crafts” — reinforcing connection by means of shared, intentional exercise.
