We are living in what could be described as the loudest era in history, heavily saturated by media and news. Information circulates endlessly at our fingertips, fuelling an ever growing dependence on technology, and gradually dissolving our sense of physical presence in time. News, notifications and narratives sit permanently within reach, dissolving any clear boundary between presence and distraction. The body is rarely asked how it feels within this system and is instead simply carried along by it. In this environment, stillness becomes unfamiliar, and the ability to sit fully within one’s own physical state begins to erode.
Reclaiming Physical Presence
It was from within this cultural tension that I approached my conversation with Charles Longbottom, founder of Shokk & Awe. My original line of questioning began with product and identity, with how design builds trust and belief in a brand’s vision, but it quickly led somewhere deeper: toward the act of stepping away from technological noise and returning to our bodies through heat, cold, stillness and instinct. I asked him about the conflict between media and the mind, the body and its state, repetition and our need to reset, not with any intention of being abstract, but through the lens of an authentically lived experience. His responses did not frame this as a trend or a lifestyle correction, but as something far more necessary.
“We have gone back to the raw fundamentals of living,” Charles explained. The idea that we continuously operate under low levels of stress, never fully able to switch off, and rarely arrive at our own uniquely formed thoughts, is a condition we have grown complacent within. It is through what Shokk & Awe embodies, this resolute intent to encapsulate a moment through intentional design and reconstructive practices, where these forces collide, restoring us to our natural alignment. “Our brand is all about creating raw pleasure, and being exposed to the elements. It’s about sitting out in the storm as much as it is about sitting in a lovely sauna,” Charles explained.
The Ritual of Shock and Awe
This philosophy is not expressed through avoidance or escape, but through intensity, through heat, cold, and controlled exposure. The Shokk & Awe ritual moves the body between sauna and cold immersion, not as indulgence but as recalibration. It demands attention, forces breath, and creates a physiological reset that cannot be simulated through screens or passive rest. In doing so, it re-establishes a relationship between sensation, awareness and control that modern habits have gradually weakened, asking the body to participate rather than passively exist.
“The shock is all about the cold embrace of water, and the awe is the sheer heat of the sauna. Having a beautiful concrete bath to phase into, made from raw material that is inherently from the earth, is a natural extension of that experience.”
Introducing Hema
This is where the collaboration with Warrington + Rose becomes critical, as the philosophy required a physical form that would not dilute its intensity. The result is Hema, an outdoor concrete cold immersion bath that refuses to soften or disguise the ritual it supports.
Concrete, as a material, carries its own psychological weight. It is often associated with permanence, infrastructure, and severity. With the Hema bathtub, that perception is inverted. The material becomes a conduit for primal sensation, retaining the cold and returning it directly to the body, insisting on contact with the present moment. There is no gloss, no visual distraction, no unnecessary embellishment. Concrete’s idiosyncratic qualities, and the biophilic organically shaped design, instinctively reinforce the importance of material honesty in considered design.
“By treating a base building material with enough consideration and refinement, it results in a unique architectural object. What’s great about working with Warrington + Rose is that they are both design led and human centred, so it fits nicely within our ethos.”
In order to curate an experience that allows you to truly feel something, igniting both body and mind into a near perfect harmony, requires an instrument that embodies these core ethics in its literal form and design. In this sense, the Hema bathtub is not an object placed alongside the ritual; it is embedded within it. It anchors the experience, grounding the transition from heat to immersion in something materially and physically undeniable. The inauguration of the Hema bathtub ensures that this physicality is not accidental, but intentional, balancing form, function and emotional response.
Beyond Wellness
What becomes clear through both the conversation and the design is that this is not simply about wellness in the contemporary, commodified sense. It is about retraining instinct. The body, when exposed to heat and cold in this way, remembers something older than modern routines. It enters a rhythm of stress and recovery, activation and stillness, effort and surrender.
“There’s something very primal about it,” Charles reflected. “Before we had all of this, the noise, the technology, the constant stimulation, we still had to regulate ourselves. This is just a way of returning to that.”
The significance of this return extends beyond the physical. In removing distraction, the ritual begins to shift mental clarity, emotional regulation and resilience. By submitting to the elements, by stepping outside of our digital landscapes, we build a quiet form of mental willpower that can be carried into our daily lives. Both literally and metaphorically, the intractability of fire and water against technology is undeniable. Take a phone into a body of water or a sweltering sauna and it will fail. In the same way, intentionally reconnecting with your internal rhythm disrupts the compulsion to look outward and encourages self reflection. Through this process, the body is both internally cleansed through heat and externally restored through cold immersion.
The collaboration between Shokk & Awe and Warrington + Rose succeeds because it resists excess. It does not attempt to over explain or over design the experience. Instead, it creates the conditions for something older and more instinctive to re-emerge, a direct, unmediated connection between a body and its natural environment. As Charles says rather poignantly, “We need the bath as much as the bath needs the sauna.”
And perhaps that is what makes it so quietly powerful. The atmospheric honesty in the material and architecture of the bath and sauna, heightens the introspection required to truly benefit from the experience, and raw materials simply do not lie. When you step into cold water, there are no distractions left. Your body takes over, your breath changes, your awareness sharpens. For that moment, you are exactly where you are.
In a world that constantly asks for our attention, this work asks for something else entirely: our presence.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the Hema bathtub?
The Hema bathtub is an outdoor concrete cold immersion bath designed in collaboration with Shokk & Awe. Crafted from raw concrete, it is built to retain low temperatures and support the transition from sauna heat to cold immersion as part of a structured reset ritual.
What are the benefits of sauna and cold immersion rituals?
Alternating between sauna heat and cold water immersion can support nervous system regulation, circulation, stress recovery and mental clarity. The contrast between temperatures stimulates physiological reset and encourages breath control and awareness.
Who is Shokk & Awe?
Shokk & Awe is a wellness concept founded by Charles Longbottom, centred on elemental exposure through heat and cold. The brand focuses on creating intentional, design-led environments that reconnect individuals with physical presence and raw sensation.
Acknowledgement:
Designer and Founder of Shokk & Awe | Charles Longbottom
