It started in Japan, in the warmth of local bathhouses—small Sentōs and scenic Onsens. What stayed with us wasn't just the bathing itself, but everything around it: friends arriving together, neighbours catching up, families side by side. It wasn't a luxury—it was part of a good day.

Later, in Finland, we visited 22 saunas in 12 days. Some tucked behind art galleries, others perched on islands. Again, we saw the same thing: sauna wasn't about indulgence. It was about connection, routine, and feeling good—together.

Back home in Castlemaine, we couldn't shake the idea. We live here. We're part of this community. And we found ourselves wishing there was a place like this in town—somewhere to slow down, feel good, and connect. So we decided to build the thing we wished existed.

We've taken inspiration from global bathing cultures, but this isn't a replica. It's something local—filtered through an Australian lens, and shaped by Castlemaine itself. It reflects how we live here: the café culture, the love of the outdoors and the creative pulse of this town—its music, art, and sense of community.

This might be a sauna and bathhouse, but not as you might expect. It's clothed. It's casual. It's designed to feel like it already belongs—something to slip into as part of the week, not just for special occasions.

Common good will be a neighbourhood gathering place—for warmth, for conversation, for the good kind of nothing.

A place for Castlemaine.

Zoë and Tom