---
title: "Harvia Flow"
description: "Harvia Flow (Harvia, 2021/22): An infrared warm-up station brings sauna heat into the gym before training"
url: "https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/harvia-flow-2021-22/"
lang: "en"
---

# Harvia Flow

**An infrared warm-up station brings sauna heat into the gym before training**

_Concept for Future Wellness Sauna_

- **Corporate partner:** [Harvia](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/partners/harvia/) (https://www.harvia.com/en/)
- **Cohort:** [2021/22](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/cohort/2021-22/)
- **Theme:** [Living & leisure](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/projects/themes/living-leisure/)
- **Type:** Physical product
- **Key fact:** $96.7B global gym market Flow could open
- **Universities:** [Kyoto Institute of Technology](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/universities/kyoto-it/), [Aalto University · Design Factory](https://www.sugar-network.org/en/network/universities/aalto/)
- **Team:** 8 master students
- **Disciplines:** Design, Architecture, Biotechnology, Computer Science, Design Business Management

## Challenge

Harvia, one of the largest sauna interior makers, asked for a new sauna concept for future wellness. Gyms focus on training devices, not on warm-up or recovery equipment.

## What the team learned

Sauna heat can heal muscles, not only relax. Adding heat to a workout routine can loosen muscles, improve elasticity and raise metabolism and heart rate.

## What they built

Flow is a gym warm-up station using Harvia's infrared heaters. Direct heat plus light stretching warms muscles faster to reduce injuries. A screen gives stretching instructions based on body temperature and planned workout; two wings fold out for space.

## Impact

Flow offers Harvia a route into the gym market. The team found gyms and wellness trends similar in Finland, Japan and elsewhere, so implementation would be similar.

## Full project text

A piece of equipment that makes use of an infrared heater to warm up your body before gym work-out.

### Challenge

Harvia is one of the largest sauna interiors manufacturers. Their challenge for us is to come up with a new concept of sauna that facilitates future wellness.

We found out that sauna can be applied not only as a relaxing treatment but also as a way to heal muscles.

In the gym industry, the main focus is on training devices rather than before and post-workout equipment.

### Solution

We decided to take infrared heaters that are widely used in saunas into a new application: a device that prepares and relaxes gymmers before and after a workout.

The direct heat from the heaters combined with light stretching activities can accelerate the warm-up process and therefore, reduce injuries in the gym.

### Impact

With Flow, Harvia could enter the $96.7B gym market all over the world. We have identified gyms as being very similar in both markets, Finland and Japan, but also all over the world. Also, the health and wellness trends are relatively similar all over the world. Meaning implementation is very similar in different markets

## Who built it.

- Gwen Tran, Computer Science (Kyoto Institute of Technology)
- Arihiro Okawa, Design (Kyoto Institute of Technology)
- Ai Shimizu, Bio Technology (Kyoto Institute of Technology)
- Daiki Goshima, Architecture (Kyoto Institute of Technology)
- Marius Augustin, International Design Business Management (Aalto University · Design Factory)
- Laura Suomalainen, International Design Business Management (Aalto University · Design Factory)
- Matias Rinne, International Design Business Management (Aalto University · Design Factory)
- Emilia Tognetty, International Design Business Management (Aalto University · Design Factory)

## Video

- EXPO 2022 -  Team Harvia by Aalto University and Kyoto Design Lab teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4bSKhSg6gw

## Sources

Summarised by the SUGAR editorial team from the team’s project page and SUGAR Expo booklet.

Open the 2021/22 booklet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gaylrIaKwqlepYmZJTx7JXi7XBTw56Kd/view?usp=sharing