Tucked into the folds of the Santa Monica Mountains is a design studio you’ve likely never heard of: Tubpanga. Founded in 2023 by Lucas McGowen, a commercial film director from Woodstock, NY, the studio emerged quietly at the onset of the actors’ strike. This moment of pause became a turning point for his vision for outdoor bathing studios.
Saying Yes
“I had designed and built two outdoor bathing spaces in Topanga — one for myself, one for a close friend,” Lucas recalls. “As the strike lingered, more people began asking me to design outdoor bathing spaces for them. I just started saying yes.”
The name Tubpanga came to him unexpectedly, while driving to his former office above Café 27. “I remember thinking, Whoa — where did that just come from?” he says. Perhaps it’s no coincidence: Lucas was born in a bathtub in Santa Barbara.
Shaping the Studio
Joining him in shaping Tubpanga’s identity is Arden Sanchez, a private chef and photographer from Santa Fe, NM, whose creative intuition and marketing acumen helped transform the studio from a passion project into a growing business. “It was really Arden’s vision and belief in what I was doing that allowed us to make the leap,” Lucas says.
Three years on, Tubpanga is California’s premier outdoor bathing design studio, with clients stretching from Venice to Malibu.
“We specialize in crafting immersive outdoor luxury bathing environments that merge sculptural form with ecological sensitivity,” says Lucas. “The goal is always to create a space that transports — that invites the nervous system to slow down, even though you’re still in your own backyard.”
Tubpanga’s work includes custom outdoor saunas, hot tubs, cold plunge tubs outdoors, outdoor showers, decks, and landscaping - with each element designed to transform private and public spaces into sanctuaries of restoration and connection. From cedar soaking tubs nestled in coastal terrain to minimalist open-air showers framed by desert sky, Tubpanga’s installations evoke ritual, place, and presence.
Start designing your dream outdoor bathing space today.