Saunas and plunge pools on the Kenyan coast, Diani to Watamu

Salt takes the small parts first

Hinges, latches, screws and glazing clips go long before anything structural. Every metal part is A4 stainless, including the ones hidden behind cladding; end grain is sealed before assembly in the factory; and the cavity behind the cladding is deeper and drained.

The chiller and pumps sit in a closed cabinet with a washable intake filter, so the coil never sees raw spray off the reef. Left open on a beachfront terrace, the same machine is scrap in about three years.

Coral rag and makuti

Coral rag walls and makuti thatch are the coast's own materials and they suit a wellness deck: shade, air movement, and no quarrel with salt. A plunge basin set into coral rag looks as though it grew out of the plot.

What makuti needs is proper fixing against uplift in the monsoon winds; what coral rag needs in a wet room is a waterproof substrate behind it, because the stone is the finish, not the tank.

The room will not dry itself

Humidistat-controlled extract, ducted outside, on every enclosed room. A continuous vapour barrier on the warm side with sealed penetrations. Cabins raised on a ventilated void rather than laid flat on a deck, so water never sits under the floor.

Service is quarterly on this coast, with a corrosion check at every visit — failures start small and visible if someone is asked to look.

Steam and sauna in the same humid house

Coastal villas often want both rooms, and here they must be separated properly: a steam room pumping moisture into a corridor next to a sauna door will swell the sauna timber within a season. We give each room its own extract, keep the sauna on the dry side of the plan and seal the steam room with wedi boards and system tape before any tile goes on.

Water on the coast is often harder than in Nairobi, and boreholes near the shore can be brackish. We test it before choosing the steam generator and fit a softener where the result calls for one.

Closest to the port

Our crates land at Mombasa, so a coastal project has almost no road leg: a Nyali or Shanzu villa is a short drive from the container terminal, and Diani an hour or so south via the Likoni ferry or the bypass.

Send us the room or deck size with a photo; you get back an itemised quote and pictures of finished coastal projects.

In short

• A4 stainless throughout, sealed end grain, deeper drained cavities
• Sealed and filtered plant enclosures — an open chiller lasts three years here
• Coral rag and makuti used properly, with uplift fixing and a waterproof substrate
• Humidistat extract and quarterly service with a corrosion check