# Civic-Inspired Bathing Spaces RECESS by Future Simple Studio Rethinks Spa Culture as Social Ritual By Amy Duong | Published 2026-04-24 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/recess-2 References: [design-milk](https://design-milk.com/future-simple-studio-trades-the-spa-playbook-for-roman-civic-logic/)  RECESS by [Future Simple Studio](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/recess-thermal-station) is a 4,500-square-foot thermal space in Montreal designed as a [social hot–cold circuit](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/arc-1) rather than a conventional spa. The project draws from Roman bathing culture, where shared environments functioned as sites of exchange, structuring a 75-minute sequence of heat, cold plunge, and rest to encourage interaction alongside recovery. The layout follows a linear progression of compression and release, with each zone calibrated to a different level of privacy and engagement. Circulation begins with an elongated tunnel and transitions through locker rooms into a central sauna defined by a circular enclosure sized for large group sessions. Materials shift from cold-rolled steel and aluminum in public-facing areas to oak and stone in bathing zones, creating spatial and tactile gradients. A communal plunge pool, sculptural showers, and a lounge with curtains for projections and events extend the experience beyond bathing. Image Credit: RECESS ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.2/10 - Popularity: 13% | Activity: 10% | Freshness: 72% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Civic-inspired Wellness Rituals:** A resurgence of communal bathing rituals reframes wellness spaces as civic social platforms that blend therapeutic routines with programmed public exchange. - **Sequential Spatial Programming:** Linear hot–cold circuits and calibrated compression-release sequences create predictable temporal flows that support shared group experiences and eventized programming. - **Materialized Privacy Gradients:** Strategic transitions in materials and textures form tactile privacy gradients that subtly direct movement and enable layered intimacy within open communal settings. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Hospitality and Resorts:** Boutique hotels and resorts showing demand for communal thermal offerings that serve as social anchors and extend guest engagement beyond private rooms. - **Commercial Real Estate and Co-working:** Mixed-use developments and co-working buildings incorporating ritualized wellness nodes as amenity-driven placemaking elements that increase dwell time and social interaction. - **Health and Wellness Technology:** Digital platforms and wearable systems emerging to quantify thermal exposure and coordinate group recovery sessions for more personalized communal wellness experiences. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [AI Art Generators](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/line-art.md) - [Protest Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lego-story.md) - [Jeweled Awareness Art Piece](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-real-crown-jewels.md) - [Beauty Design Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nail-ai.md) - [Jelly Shot Cookbooks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/solid-wiggles-cookbook.md) - [AI Art Galleries](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/infinigallery.md) - [Mocktail Jelly Cakes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mocktail-jelly-cake.md) - [Mexican Identity Exhibition](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tecnolgico-de-monterrey.md) - [Mirror Silk Art Exhibitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/only-love-can-break-your-heart.md)