Winners of the Spa of the Future Challenge Named; Defiant! Teen Spa Takes Top Place

Posted: July 3, 2012

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Partner Architect: Hugo Gagnon, Founder, Hugo Gagnon Studio & Architect, DCYSA Architecture & Design

The Concept - mente spa & studio

For people turned off by the loud, competitive, hyper body-focused (mindless) experience that is the modern gym, mente offers a serene, brainier solution. A whole-person approach designed to work out the mind as much as the abs, mente creatively combines spa, moderate exercise and intellectual enrichment in a civilized, social environment.

Members take personal or group classes, such as yoga, tai chi, qi gong and stretching, and at the Sanskrit-themed spa, guided meditation before and during treatments is key to mental engagement. The design conjures the world of art and the imagination, and seminars on wellness topics, such as healthy sleep and stress-reduction, and on literature, art, architecture, science, history and travel, are as regular as the fitness schedules. At mente, one can sit by the fire and have tea, meditate in the Tranquillity Room or take watercolor classes with a local painter. Other “brainy” solutions: online videos allow members to access classes wherever they are – membership pricing is based on revenue management – and a unique spa store offers everything from yoga gear to curated literature selections.

3rd place (tie): Pennsylvania State University ($250 prize)