Heat, Cold, and Communal Rest to Improve Urban Well-being

Liv Jankoski // Advisor: Teagan Robinson

How Heat, Cold, and Communal Rest Can Improve Urban Well-being

Philadelphia faces rising rates of stress, poor mental health, obesity, and sleep disturbance, yet the city has almost no accessible spaces designed to support recovery. At the same time, interest in saunas, cold plunges, and other restorative practices has grown, reflecting a widespread need for calmer, more grounding rituals. This thesis proposes a thermal ritual center for Philadelphia—an environment shaped by the proven benefits of heat and cold exposure and informed by global bathing traditions. By combining sensory experience, temperature contrast, material simplicity, and communal gathering, the project explores how space can help regulate the nervous system, reduce stress, and support healthier daily rhythms. Ultimately, this work asks how design can offer Philadelphians an accessible, shared place where rest feels natural and supported, creating a new kind of public resource for a city that needs it.