Earlier this year, we relocated from our original workshop in the hills of the Dyfi Valley to our purpose-built sauna-making site a few miles away in the village of Glantwymyn, near our home town of Machynlleth.

The move marked a milestone that had been years in the making and will enable us to meet the growing demand for outdoor saunas and wellness facilities.

Below, Heartwood Saunas founder and director, Olly Davey, shares in his own words the story of our journey to a new home and how it will guide Heartwood Saunas into the future.

Time for change

It first became clear to me that we needed more space in the workshop as far back as 2021. When I started the company in 2018 it was just me, but we experienced rapid growth in those first years, with demand for our outdoor saunas outpacing our production capacity. With a constant stream of new orders resulting in longer lead times, I had to quickly expand the team, employing talented, local craftspeople to work with me to make more saunas, without compromising on quality. During those early years, I recognised that if we wanted to keep expanding as a company, we would need a new workshop to support that growth.

Finding the right location took time. I went to see several potential sites looking for a place that would enable us to develop in line with my vision for the company and allow us to create the perfect workshop for the team. The quickest and easiest option would’ve been to take on a unit at an existing industrial estate, but that was never a route I wanted to go down. I was seeking a setting that reflected the company's values, visibly represented what we stand for, and kept us connected to the natural world.

Shaping the Vision

From the outset, I wanted the sauna workshop to match the ambition and quality of the saunas we build. Our new home is spacious, light-filled, and purpose-built for our needs, making it feel very much like Heartwood. Ancient trees surround the workshop, and with the river Twymyn running alongside, it’s a place that grounds us and our work in the landscape that inspires us.

Throughout the design and planning process, Arta, our in-house architect and designer and I, aimed to ensure that the space would offer us ample flexibility and enable us to improve efficiency across the board, giving us the scope to adapt to accommodate a range of projects - from our signature saunas for private homes and gardens, to larger bespoke and commercial projects. I wanted the space to inspire us and for us to feel immersed in the brand, so that as a team, we could continually push the boundaries of sauna design. As a result, in addition to a large workshop area, there is also a dedicated research and development space, providing us with room to explore new concepts and to test out new materials, ensuring we continue to build saunas in the most energy-efficient and sustainable way possible.

Building for the Future

As a Welsh sauna company, we’re committed to keeping our production in our home town which allows us to contribute to the region’s economy and create new job opportunities for talented local craftspeople. The larger office space located on the mezzanine floor also allows us to grow our head office functions as needed - from customer service, design and marketing to finance and HR, supporting the delivery of more saunas to clients across the UK and internationally. While the headcount continues to grow, we remain a small, dedicated team that thinks locally and acts globally.

Future plans also include developing the external area of the workshop for visitors and clients, creating the opportunity to experience both electric and wood-fired Heartwood Saunas, here at our new workshop. Working with garden designer and RHS Young Designer of the Year winner, Luke Coleman, we’ll be creating a biodiverse, landscaped wellbeing space that speaks of our heritage, our location and our values.

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If you have any questions about our saunas and would like to speak to a member of the team, please complete our Contact Form and we’ll be in touch.

Olly.