The Secrets of Finnish Sauna Design

If you're planning a sauna build — or just dreaming about one — this is the book to read first. Secrets of Finnish Sauna Design is a research-backed handbook by Dr. Lassi A. Liikkanen, a designer and scholar at Aalto University who spent five years interviewing Finland's top sauna builders, designers, and researchers. The result is the most comprehensive guide to authentic Finnish sauna design available in English: heating, air quality, interior design, the physics of löyly, and the intangible elements that separate a real sauna from a hot room. Now in its second edition, it covers both traditional sauna cabins and contemporary apartment saunas.

• Author: Dr. Lassi A. Liikkanen (Aalto University), edited by Mikesch Muecke
• Format: Paperback, 216 pages
• Dimensions: 10 x 7 in
• Published: December 15, 2025 (2nd edition)
• Recognition: Amazon's top-rated book on Architecture — Methods and Materials

Every purchase helps build a public sauna in the U.S.

Amazon was typically our first stop for a book until an author friend told us how little actually makes it back to the people who write them. You may pay more here, but more of it goes back to people doing good things.