Project Details
Project Type: Bespoke mobile sauna
Location: Buena Vista, Colorado
Size: 30+ feet, dual-axle hydraulic mobile chassis
Capacity: 10-12 people
Materials & Features:
- Japanese-inspired design with mountain influence
- Dual wood-fired IKI stoves
- Thermory magnolia and aspen interiors
- Cedar lap exterior
- Entryway with changing stalls and tea station
- Candlelit atmosphere with minimal wiring
- Non-toxic materials and finishes
Tour the sauna:
Project Story
Twin brothers Mike and Brian Mayer traveled from Colorado to Duluth, Minnesota, to see the finished sauna they had been designing with Cedar & Stone Nordic Sauna. After months of collaboration across states, they had the chance to step inside the completed build—TerraForm’s first project.
TerraForm Projects began with a clear goal: to create healing campuses and healing centers. This sauna marks the first step toward that vision.
“Our main goal is to create spaces that actually amplify healing,” Mike said. “We spend a lot of our time in fight-or-flight mode, even if it’s just low levels of anxiety and stress. We’re creating spaces that help people move into their parasympathetic nervous system, where they can relax and start to heal.”
As guests approach the sauna, it’s meant to feel like coming home. The design uses natural materials, earthy colors, and cedar to create a sense of safety and calm. Every choice was made to help people feel at ease before they even step inside.
The Design Process
During the design process, the goal was to make sure everything, from the way the team worked together to the finished details, felt connected and intentional. “We wanted everyone involved to feel like they had a part in it,” Mike said. “That energy carries through from the very beginning to the completion of the project.”
The concept was inspired by Japanese garden architecture and mountain vernacular design, combining simplicity with a sense of place. The goal was to build something that felt timeless, like it could have been standing for a hundred years while still feeling completely new.
“We wanted it to feel like a 300-year-old Japanese onsen,” Mike said. “But it also needed to fit into the mountain landscape of Buena Vista.”
Wood became the primary material: warm, familiar, and alive. The team used Thermory magnolia and aspen, which are thermally modified to be durable without chemical stains. “They just cook the wood and keep it in its natural state,” Mike explained. “You can touch it and smell it and know it’s healthy.”
Every detail supported that same goal. Adhesives and finishes were non-toxic, and even the lighting was simplified to keep the atmosphere pure. “We removed most of the wiring,” Brian added. “It’s completely candlelit. Fire is the only light source, which connects people back to something primal and grounding.”
Inside, everything guests see and touch is meant to feel natural and restorative.
Healing and Sauna as the Foundation
Before starting TerraForm, Mike and Brian both worked in construction and real estate. Over time, they found themselves wanting something more meaningful. Something that connected their professional skills with their growing interest in health and well-being.
“We were each going through our own healing journeys,” Brian said. “The traditional systems weren’t working for us, so we started looking into holistic health. We took what we knew from real estate and the built environment and combined it with what we were passionate about: health and wellness.”
That connection between space and healing became the foundation of their company. When the brothers started exploring what kind of space could represent their vision, sauna naturally came first.
“Sauna is simple and enjoyable,” Mike said. “Once we learned about the benefits, detoxification, circulation, recovery, it became the foundation for our bigger vision. It’s a communal experience that brings people together, and it’s an easy entry point for anyone.”
They see sauna and cold plunge as a way to bring people into wellness without barriers. It’s approachable, social, and familiar. From there, people can explore other practices like breathwork, meditation, or therapy with more openness. “Not everyone is ready to try something like a darkness retreat or plant medicine,” Mike said. “But sauna opens people up to that kind of self-inquiry and healing in a simple, accessible way.”
The Long-Term Vision of TerraForm Projects
While this sauna is the first project, the Mayers’ plans go much further. They plan to add cold plunge, massage and acupuncture offerings, yoga, breathwork, therapy and more.
Over time, TerraForm plans to build larger healing campuses. Think permanent spaces that include housing, gardens, and shared wellness facilities.
“In fifty years, we hope people won’t call them ‘healing campuses,’” Brian said. “Buildings should naturally support people’s health. That’s where we’re headed.”
Working Together
For Cedar & Stone, this partnership reflects what happens when design and purpose align.
“You can see the care and thought in every detail,” said Justin Juntunen. “This kind of project helps people reconnect. To themselves, to others, and to the natural world.”
TerraForm Sauna is now operating in Buena Vista, offering guests a space to rest, recover, and connect through heat, cold, and community. Mike reflected, “Since we received our sauna a few months ago, we’ve gotten to know the ins and outs of it, and I am loving it more and more each day. The responses we’ve received from our members has been incredible. Everyone is blown away by what we have created. It is so beautiful. And from a functionality side, I am so appreciative of all your insight and experience because the flow has been so great. I can’t say enough amazing things!”
Learn more about TerraForm Sauna →
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Build a Sauna That Supports Your Business Vision
At Cedar & Stone, we design and build outdoor modular saunas that help businesses grow and communities thrive.
Each unit is crafted with the same care, materials, and attention to detail that went into TerraForm Sauna. Built to last for decades and ready to operate from day one.
If you’re ready to bring a sauna experience to your business, we’ll help you design a sustainable, durable sauna or sauna village that reflects your vision and serves your customers for years to come.
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