Pulse Legacy Archive January / February 2011 | Page 28

“Whether in a
retrofitted structure
or new and
ground-up
construction, the green and gridfriendly spa offers guests treatments
that renew and elevate body, mind
and spirit in a living garden retreat.”

DESIGN VISION:

Sustainable
“Big Box”
Architecture

DESIGN FIRM: VOELKER GRAY DESIGN
ARCHITECTS/PARTNERS: JOHN GRAY AND TODD VOELKER
WEB SITE: SPADESIGN.NET
ADDRESS: 14988 SAND CANYON AVENUE (STUDIO 2)
IRVINE, CALIFORNIA, USA

26 PULSE

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January/February 2011

W

hen John Gray and Todd Voelker of Voelker Gray Design predict innovations in spa design by 2030, they see adaptive re-use of “big box”
structures in urban and suburban locations to bring outdoor environments
indoors. Advances in solar photovoltaic cell technology make it feasible to transplant
a subtropical garden ambience just about anywhere. Picture lush, natural spa features,
set “outdoors” within a large steel and glass greenhouse of highly efficient solar-generating glazing. In any season, spa-goers in Chicago, for example, can be transported
to a semi-tropical spa experience without ever going to O’Hare Airport.
Whether in a retrofitted structure or new and ground-up construction, the green
and grid-friendly spa offers guests treatments that renew and elevate body, mind and
spirit in a living garden retreat. Multiple levels of passive solar “terra-scaped” design are
accessible by graceful ramps instead of power-hungry elevators. Treatment rooms are
tucked away; back-of-house facilities hidden. Simulated daylight allows extended operating hours in winter; polarized screens buffer summer heat while glass roof reduces
UV exposure. Pools and spas enhance a social spa experience. The architecture calls
little attention to itself. The design envelopes people in an uplifting ambience—
evoking deep well-being.