Welcome to the Social Sauna Era—and Everything Else You Need to Know About This Week

• Saunas like Othership are becoming North America’s newest social hotspots, turning spa sweat sessions into DJ sets, comedy nights, singles socials, and theatrical wellness performances as guests trade bars and clubs for communal bathing. (Condé Nast Traveler)

• California is considering banning high-silica quartz countertops after hundreds of workers developed silicosis, an irreversible lung disease. Safety experts warn thousands more fabricators across the U.S. may already have undiagnosed silicosis from cutting slabs of the popular material. (NPR)

• This week, the House overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan housing bill that would stop large investors from buying more single-family homes while still allowing them to build new rental housing. But, the bill’s future remains uncertain, as it’s not clear whether it will pass in the Senate or be signed off by Trump. (CNBC)

• Artist Maya Lin is bringing Manhattan’s "bedrock to the surface" with a massive, living stone sculpture at the new JPMorgan Chase Tower. The piece—titled A Parallel Nature—is a large, intricate wall of granite, with native plants and trickling water, inspired by Central Park’s rocky terrain and Lin’s lifelong connection to nature. (The New York Times)

• Dwell’s Sarah Buder and Valeria Suasnavas found that at NYCxDesign’s Afternoon Light Design Fair, "indie-minded" tactile objects stole the show, from glass-like dimmer knobs and brutalist flatware to witchy hand-carved furniture. (Dwell)

Top photo by Ian Patterson