The once-derelict car park in East London has been transformed into a thriving hub of sustainable innovation with the launch of the world's first community-powered sauna. The ingenious facility harnesses methane gas from food waste collected from nearby residents, making it a UK-first for community-level application.
Located within R-Urban Poplar civic space, this pioneering circular design is part of a comprehensive 'ecology hub' that includes micro-allotments and communal growing spaces where locals cultivate herbs, vegetables, and flowers. Andy Belfield from the R-Urban Poplar team confirmed its uniqueness, stating, 'As far as we are aware this is the UK's – and the world's – first community powered sauna.'
Beyond the sauna and gardens, R-Urban Poplar offers a range of activities including urban farming prototyping, mushroom cultivation, and restore-and-repair services. The site also boasts a community kitchen, a classroom, a workshop, and a tool library, all designed to foster community engagement and self-sufficiency.
Elle McAll from the Women's Environmental Network (Wen), which has provided funding and coordination for R-Urban for the past five years, highlighted the project's integrated approach. 'It's combining the technology and the technical side with the community building, the community side,' McAll explained. 'Addressing the climate crisis isn't about just those technical solutions in isolation.'
The initiative is particularly significant in Tower Hamlets, where outdoor space is scarce and a large proportion of households live in flats with limited access to green areas. The project helps reconnect residents with food production, exemplified by participants like Toyoba Chowdhuri, who travels daily to tend her micro-allotment.