Goodland's Hot Tub exemplifies a slow-living glamping experience

Right by the densely vegetated natural edge of the Pacific Ocean, in the Canadian Tofino, a certain sense of peace prevails. While the tall trees tower over the open space drowning it in tranquillity, the cleansing sound of raindrops hitting a warm bath creates thoughtful waves for a well-rested mind. As the burning wood in the open hearth crackles softly, one may soak themselves in a cosy bath, living slowly, mastering the art of pausing and allowing oneself to experience the present moment in all its fervour. In an extraordinary pursuit of pausing, the Canada-based furnishing brand Goodland has come up with a highly functional object, the Wood Burning Hot Tub, that embraces the breaks in life’s everyday hustle by making a routine exercise riveting. Spearheaded by the Canadian designer and Goodland’s Founder Craig Pearce, rendering an everyday object for a captivating slow living experience, came to Pearce during the Covid-19 pandemic that enforced a pause globally. Even though the pandemic called for a lot of turmoil, it offered the Canadian product designer a silver lining of understanding, embracing and ultimately incorporating a ‘break’ in everyday patterns using a simple bathtub.

It takes skill to live slowly in a fast-paced world. Slow living is indeed a developmental mindset for a purposeful and conscious lifestyle and has long been endorsed globally. People frequently forget to take a moment to pause, breathe, and clear their perceptions, only to maintain healthier lives while thriving in the world's constantly evolving contemporaneity. Not everything requires a fast approach, and very often, a slower approach to everyday life can result in better outcomes. The premium and immersive outdoor product brand has dedicated its practice to providing its customers with not just a utilitarian object, but also the first-hand experience of slow living. “It feels like we’re building a community of authentic bathing fanatics. It has been an exciting time and a challenge for our small team, but we’re all here putting in the work with a smile on our faces,” expresses Pearce.

The Wood burning hot tub has been creatively endorsed as a featureful addition to any outdoor living space. It draws inspiration from the bathing culture in Japan and especially the Japanese Ofuro tubs. Traditionally, the Furo or Ofuro bathtubs are characterised by a steep back, a deeper construction and a prominently cuboidal structure. The older soaking tubs were created using the aromatic hinoki wood to suit the weather conditions of the county with its natural resistance to humidity and rot and have now been adapted as the plastic or metal versions of the same in contemporary Japanese designs. Just like the traditional Ofuro, Goodland’s hot tub is also the result of a technique-driven adaptation of the same that encourages bathing as not just a routine activity but also a way to connect with nature and oneself. The technique of heating up water by burning wood also uplifts bathing from a simple practice to an experience that involves the whole ritual of ‘preparing a bath’.

The hot tub is designed keeping sustainability in mind and is constructed with 100% recyclable materials including western red cedar wood and oak with details in marine grade aluminium and brass. The wooden construction not only captures the essential ethos of the very naturally beautiful material but also retains the original essence of the Japanese Ofuro tubs. In stark contrast to the conventional hot tubs that are often created using non-recyclable materials, the Wood-burning hot tubs are built following a sustainable design concept and offers a hygienic and advanced bathing experience with the support of LEDs, loud jets and a complex chemical mix focused on keeping the outdoor bathing solution sanitary. It also plays the dual role of being a warm soak tub on a cold winter day or a cool plunge tub when it is hot and sunny while being well-suited for both fresh and salt water.

Ever since 2020, Goodland has actively worked to create designs and products that facilitate slow living, a practice that involves disconnecting from technology, the virtual world and fast-paced life to fully experience the nuances of everyday life. While the hot tub is not necessarily a fresh concept, the context that the Canadian brand adds to its product is well-focused on essentialism and holds the expansive support of many retreats such as the Arro Dunes in Joshua Tree, California or the Doah house in Virginia’s Blue Mountains, all with one focusー fostering harmonious living with very few physical interventions and creative design.