Build North is a northern-based design and build studio focusing on building beautifully resilient outdoor saunas and contrast therapy experiences.

The northern Minnesota landscape, harsh weather, and deeply rooted sauna tradition shapes our entire approach to designing and building - giving a nod to European tradition where appropriate and also forging and refining our own sauna identity. 

With design elements and techniques hinged on tradition and modern expression, our saunas integrate modern build standards with time-honored materials and are built to be a part of the landscape and your life for years to come.

Zach Stokman, founder and owner, is accompanied by his wonderful wife and 3 children who all play a role in offering a sauna experience that is the extension of the home. After starting a family, a deep desire brought us away from the city and deep into the woods of northern Minnesota where silence and rootedness are more possible. Avid plunge and sauna users for decades, my wife and I have found a deep resonance in what a beautiful sauna experience can offer - health benefits, peace and quiet, quality time with friends, meditation and prayer, closeness to nature and beauty, and a welcoming embrace of the bitterly cold winters. 

Having built saunas over the years, Zach stepped away from the corporate tech scene to build a cabin with his father last year and has reconnected with his love for design and working with his hands; a refreshing step back into things that are deeply human and meaningful.