“It’s All Fun and Games Until Your Spa Doesn’t Work”

IDEA founder Andrea explains what poor ventilation can signal, why the systems behind a wellness space matter, and how a family pool business in Italy shaped his approach to design.

A sauna can have beautiful wood, soft lighting, and all the right finishes…and still go wrong.

There could be an odor that may be more than an inconvenience. It can be a clue that something behind the experience isn’t working as it should.

“Ventilation and Water Quality” are the first technical mistakes IDEA founder Andrea notices when he walks into a wellness space that looks beautiful but doesn’t work well. Poor airflow and unpleasant odors, he says, can reveal moisture, mold, or rust.

It’s a useful reminder: the details that make a wellness space feel good are not always the ones that make it look good.

A beautiful space can still fail

Wellness spaces are often judged by what’s visible: the stone, the wood, the lighting, the equipment. But if the air feels heavy, the layout is awkward, or the space is difficult to maintain, the experience can fall short.

Andrea approaches wellness design as a complete system. With a background in civil engineering, he considers how the structure, mechanical systems, equipment, and finishes work together over time, not just how they look on opening day.

“Everything from the wood structure and steam-room ceiling to the lighting and pool equipment ultimately shapes the guest experience.”

That thinking applies to details people may not consciously notice when they’re done well: floor finishes, transitions between rooms, and the spaces where mechanical equipment lives. Get them right, and the experience feels effortless. Get them wrong, and comfort and function can suffer.

His first lessons came from the family business

Andrea grew up around his family’s pool business in Italy, where he learned early that good design needs to hold up beyond the first impression.

“True quality comes from finding the best solution, caring about every detail, and approaching each challenge with genuine Italian craftsmanship.”

IDEA began in Italy in 1987. Over decades, the expertise built there became the foundation for the company’s work in the United States. Andrea saw a gap in the U.S. market: thermal and water environments weren’t always being considered with the same technical intelligence as the architecture around them. IDEA was built to help close it.

The belief behind that work is simple: “Thermal and water environments deserve the same intelligence as the architecture around them.”

For Andrea, that means listening closely to the client, caring about the details, and making each project unique without losing sight of its original vision. Craftsmanship isn’t simply about how a space is finished. It shapes the decisions that determine how well the space works.

The most important planning happens early

A wellness project may involve an architect, designer, mechanical engineer, thermal supplier, installer, and client. Each brings valuable expertise. But when those people work separately, decisions can get missed, and problems may surface only after they’re harder and more expensive to fix.

Andrea’s answer is to bring everyone together from the start, so the team can build toward one coordinated vision.

That conversation should happen earlier than many people expect, sometimes before a budget is established. A good plan depends on who will use the space, how many people it needs to serve, where it is, and how it will be operated. A private home, hotel, and members’ club may all want a sauna or cold plunge, but each has different needs.

Waiting too long can mean redesigns, delays, and unnecessary costs.

The product isn’t the whole answer

New wellness technologies and products can open up exciting possibilities. But selecting the newest equipment doesn’t guarantee a better experience.

For Andrea, choosing well means looking at how a product fits into the larger project—and drawing on the expertise of the people who will design, build, and support it. The right decision depends on the client, the space, and how it needs to work.

That’s also why Andrea believes the industry needs more education and conversation before construction begins. Understanding what’s possible, and what a project requires behind the scenes, can make the difference between a space that simply looks impressive and one that works beautifully in everyday life.

The best technical work may be invisible once a wellness space is finished. You may never think about the ventilation, the floor transitions, or the equipment tucked away out of sight. You’ll simply notice that the room feels comfortable, works as it should, and lets you focus on being there.