The Ofuro Spa rises up behind a thicket of alders growing alongside a pond. Inspired by Japanese bathhouses, the spa’s architecture blends Pacific Northwest modernism with traditional bathhouse elements like a hot pool, a cold plunge pool, and a sauna clad in hinoki cypress wood.
The spa received the last part of its glow-up this year when Coastline Concrete Coatings, led by Pararescueman Josiah Stromstad, coated the walking surfaces with epoxy and Washington Rock’s Armorstone product.
Learn more about this unique woodland escape and Josiah’s story in our latest article.
Camping Meets Zen
The Ofuro Spa is the heart of a camping experience called Campfield in Long Beach, Washington. The Long Beach Campfield is the first of its kind in North America.
Think of Campfield as the zen cousin of glamping. The twenty-acre-plus plot contains 53 camping sites; a building with a store, hangout spot, and café; washrooms; and, of course, the spa. Each structure is beautifully designed to complement the surrounding environment.
Guests can rent a campsite and provide their own gear. Or they can upgrade to a tent suite or a minimalist tiny home called a jyubako (“living box”). Guests can also rent everything from mattresses to Japanese grill kits.
The Campfield experience comes from the imagination of Snow Peak, an REI-like Japanese company that sells camping gear and clothing. The company reimagines dusty public campsites as leisurely experiences in nature. Guests are required to leave vehicles behind at the gatehouse and trek their gear to the campsites, creating a greater sense of separation from everyday life.
“We take inspiration from our Japanese heritage, where humans view themselves as part of nature, not separate from it,” the company explains on their website.
Snow Peak CEO Tōru Yamai explains that his company’s philosophy is based on a Japanese saying, kachō fūgetsu. While the words literally translate to “flower, bird, wind, moon,” the words as a whole represent the idea of appreciating the beauty of nature and living as part of it.
“The Long Beach Campfield offers a reimagined approach to camping, centered on connection with others and a closeness with the natural world,” Yamai said.
This vision is ultimately what brought contractor Josiah Stromstad to Ofuro Spa.
Giving Concrete the Pacific Northwest Treatment
When he’s not balancing his role as a Pararescueman, Josiah Stromstad is managing Coastline Concrete Coatings. His team polishes and restores concrete and installs high-performance floor coating systems throughout the Pacific Northwest. Josiah’s goal is to deliver surfacing systems that balance durability, safety, and design.
Architecture firm Eric Fagerland & Associates (EFA) hired Coastline Concrete Coatings to install the ideal floor coating system inside the Ofuro Spa. Getting the functionality and look right were paramount.
“Every space [in Long Beach Campfield] is something that was created and designed with a purpose,” Josiah said. “There’s nothing in there that’s bland. Everything has a unique feature to it, from the hooks on the walls to the floor you’re walking on to where the wood is placed.”
EFA was interested in a non-skid finish that offered traction and a distinct feeling underfoot. Josiah presented several coat-finishing options to EFA, including Washington Rock’s Armorstone® Crack Seal Sand, a type of overlay aggregate. Overlay aggregates are small stones that are designed to create traction on surfaces treated with epoxy, such as pool decks, parking decks, and bridge decks.
“The architects at EFA were detailed and thorough,” Josiah explained. “We tested Armorstone out on the deck, and it quickly became clear it was the best fit. It offered the most natural, aesthetically pleasing coating application we could find for this spa space.”
The Armorstone finish also added a distinct feeling underfoot—coarse but still pleasant to walk on.
“That’s what they wanted,” Josiah said. “Everybody was hyped about it.”
After the coating system was selected, Coastline Coating’s team of installers began the project by fine-tuning the profile of the Ofuro Spa’s concrete flooring so that it drained correctly. Then they mechanically profiled the concrete.
The concrete received three different resinuous coatings: the first contained a protective moisture barrier; the second was topped with Armorstone; and the last sealed the entire surface.
Applying resinous coatings requires precision and planning because resin’s pot life—the amount of time from when resin is mixed until it starts to cure—is short. For each resinuous coating, the crew closely monitored the weather, temperature, humidity, and dew point, all of which could shift rapidly in Long Beach’s coastal environment. The team set up mixing stations with timers to ensure each batch of resin was spread quickly.
First, the coating with a protective moisture barrier was laid down.
Then the Armorstone system followed. To execute this layer, some crew members spread the epoxy resin across the concrete at a precise depth, ensuring even coverage. Others followed closely behind, broadcasting the stones in a multi-step process that layered the stones evenly over the wet resin.
After the epoxy and Armorstone system cured, excess Armorstone was swept up. The surface was then sealed to create a durable finish. The glossy seal coat brought the stone surface to life. Check out the end result in Coastline Coating’s video below.
After the project was completed, Snow Peak’s project team, including company leadership and architects from EFA, toured Ofuro Spa. The finish achieved their design vision: a natural non-skid surface with the right texture and tone for a Pacific Northwest retreat. They praised Josiah’s team for delivering a world-class result right on schedule.
Lessons from Construction and the 304th Rescue Squadron
Josiah is quick to emphasize that teamwork and service are essential to the success of Coastline Coatings. In addition to over 20 years in the construction industry, Josiah has worked in special operations for 15 years. He serves in the U.S. Air Force Reserves as a Pararescueman (PJ) with the 304th Rescue Squadron, part of the Portland Air National Guard Base in Portland, Oregon.
The 304th Rescue Squadron is a team of highly trained specialists who work together to recover people from the harshest environments in the U.S. Their work ranges from mountain rescues across the Cascades to combat search-and-rescue.
The Squadron also supports human spaceflight and recently played a role in the launch of the SpaceX Dragon capsule and the recovery of the Crew-9 and Crew-10 team members.
Josiah believes that his experiences in both construction and special operations have helped build the discipline and craftsmanship that defines his work. The same preparation, teamwork, and precision required in pararescue carries into every Coastline project.
“Our work is labor intensive, but it’s also meticulous,” Josiah said. “You have to be detailed and structured when applying coatings, from the preparation phase to the finish line.”
Josiah’s perspective on service and his faith also factor into the Coastline Coatings motto “created by design, born to serve.”
“I’m a man of faith, a husband, a father, and a servant,” he said. “Those values and gifts guide my leadership in pararescue and at Coastline. My aim is to always serve others well.”
Coastline Concrete Coatings is based in Cannon Beach, Oregon, and is licensed in Oregon, Washington, and federally across the United States. To learn more about Coastline Concrete Coatings, check out their website.
To support Pararescue service members and families in need, consider donating to the Pararescue Foundation.
Washington Rock Quarries is a family-owned business that produces rock, sand, and soil products at Kapowsin Quarry and King Creek Pit in Orting, Washington.
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