Nadir Mahi Matua: Whare Okiokinga by Paolo Demel is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Parahi in Hoahoa Waihanga, Whare me te Hanganga Competition Category.
ParahiWaihanga· 2026
Nadir Mahi Matua: Whare Okiokinga
by Paolo Demel
Client: Paolo Demel
A' Design Award Parahi Winner in Waihanga Category
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- Verified Award Winner
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The Design
About Nadir Mahi Matua: Whare Okiokinga
He whare okiokinga a Nadir kei roto i te Koraha o Atacama, i hangaia hei hoahoanga e ahua tapahia ana mai i te whenua. Ka noho piri ngā rōpū hangarite pāpaku ki te toka, e hanga ana i ngā roka hōhonu, i ngā marae e pare ana i te hau, me ngā tatau atarangi. Ka whakamahia te wai hei whakata whakamātao, me ngā puna o waho e whakaata ana i te rangi o te awaawa, me ngā puna hōhonu e noho ana ki roto i ngā rūma i whaotia. Ka hangaia ngā taha o roto e ngā mata kōhatu paparanga me ngā puare oculus e whakauru ana i te aowatea ka whakahaeretia, e whakaiti ana i te tīaho me te wera. He tērā rōpū māmā o te kōhatu tae onepū, te whakamaramatanga me ngā taputapu iti e whakanui ana i te whakamarumaru me te tirohanga whānui.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award Parahi
Ko Nadir Mahi Matua: Whare Okiokinga te toa o te A' Design Award Parahi, he whakaaetanga tino whai mana e hoatu ana ki ngā hoahoa kōeke e tohua ana mā te auaha, te mahi mōhio me te whakaaro hōhonu. Ko ngā toa Parahi he mahi pukenga e rite ana, he auaha mīharo, e whakatūturu ana i te wheako nui, te whakaaro me te mōhio-ā-ringa o ā rātou kaihoahoa. E tūmanakohia ana ko Nadir Mahi Matua: Whare Okiokinga he taonga whakanuia, whakamīharotia, aroha nui, he ngaio, he auaha hoki. Ko tēnei hoahoa i toa i te Parahi e whakauru ana i ngā tikanga pai rawa i te toi, te pūtaiao, te hoahoa me te hangarau, ā, he tino mīharo ki ngā taipitopito. Ka whakatutuki a Nadir Mahi Matua: Whare Okiokinga i ngā hiahia, ka pā ki ngā hiahia, ka whakaoho i ngā kare-ā-roto, ā, ka kume i te pākiki.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- A monolithic resort in Chile’s Atacama Desert, carved from stratified stone where architecture is defined by void rather than object. Thick, high thermal mass walls, shaded courtyards, and top lit oculi provide passive cooling and controlled daylight. Water elements temper the microclimate and enhance reflections, while a restrained stone and wood palette delivers timeless, durable luxury integrated with the canyon.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The resort covers approximately 5,000 square meters and features an outdoor pool, 3 indoor pools, as well as a full wellness area with a Turkish bath, sauna, and relaxation area. The pools range in depth from 1 meter to 3 meters.
- Tags
- Atacama Desert, desert resort, carved architecture, Nadir oasis, Nadir resort, design oasis, Nadir concept
- Production Technology
- Developed through iterative massing and void carving studies plan and section first, then 3D parametric modeling to control oculi, courtyard proportions and shadow lines. Material assembly logic is based on locally sourced stone or stone veneer on RC frame with high thermal mass, ventilated cavities, concealed linear LEDs, and waterproofed pool shells designed for low maintenance desert operation.
- Design Challenge
- The hardest part was balancing excavation with comfort and safety in an extreme desert: creating shaded, quiet interior oases without losing daylight, views, or a clear guest journey. Limited water, harsh sun, thermal swings and fragile geology pushed us to use the rock mass as a climate buffer, minimize exposed facades, and choreograph light wells and courtyards.
- Research
- design research and site study. Objectives: create a low glare, sheltered resort embedded in rock, with water as an oasis cue. Methodology: climate solar mapping, spatial sequencing, and iterative massing tests. Data Tools: sun path, wind data, 3D models
- Inspiration
- Inspired by the Atacama’s stratified geology and pre Columbian desert settlements, the project treats architecture as a carved refuge space shaped by subtraction, shade, and silence. Research into thermal mass, controlled zenithal daylight, and evaporative microclimates informed courtyards, oculi, and water basins to create comfort with minimal mechanical demand.
- Project Duration
- Nadir Resort is a hospitality concept developed from august 2025 to February 2026 for a site in the Atacama Desert, Chile. The proposal integrates architecture with existing rock formations by partial excavation, forming protected courtyards and interior pool spaces. The project was prepared as a design competition submission and visualised through iterative spatial and material studies.
- Operation Flow
- Guests arrive from the open desert and slip into a cooler, carved threshold. A gentle descent leads through shaded passages where sound, texture and warm light guide the way. Skylights and cuts in the rock reveal a sequence of indoor outdoor oases: pools, lounges and quiet rooms. Movement shifts naturally from social spaces to private retreat, while the surrounding stone keeps the atmosphere calm and temperate.
- Image Credits
- Image #1 : Paolo Demel (designer), Image #2 : Paolo Demel (designer), Image #3 : Paolo Demel (designer), Image #4 : Paolo Demel (designer), Image #5 : Paolo Demel (designer)
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