Nadir Samana Wasi by Paolo Demel is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award Burunsi Premiu in Wasichiy Kamay Competition Category.

BurunsiWasichiy· 2026

Nadir Samana Wasi

by Paolo Demel

Client: Paolo Demel

A' Design Award Burunsi Premiu Winner in Wasichiy Category

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Colors

The Design

About Nadir Samana Wasi

Nadir nisqaqa Atacama chunniqpi churasqa samana wasim, allpamanta llaqllasqa hina rikch'akuq wasichay ruwayta hina wakichisqa. Pisi pampa cheqan rumita k'iskita tiyanku, ukhu loggia nisqata, wayramanta amachasqa kanchakunata, llanthuyuq punkukunatapas ruwaspa. Yakuqa chirichiq rirpu hina llamk'achisqa, hawa pukyukunaqa qaqa hanaq pachata rikch'achinku, ukhuman waykusqa qochakunaqa llaqllasqa ukhukunata hunt'anku. Ukhu wasikunaqa patapatasqa rumi pata pachakunawan, oculus kicharisqakunawan ima rikch'achisqa, kayqa kamachisqa p'unchaw k'anchayta yaykuchin, achikyaytawan q'oñitawan pisiyachispa. Aqu llimphiyuq perqamanta, k'anchaymanta, aslla wasi q'ipikunamanta pisi akllasqa churaykunaqa waqaychayta hatun qhawariytawan riqsichin.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Burunsi Premiu

Nadir Samana Wasi A' Design Award Burunsi Premiu mishak kan, jatun yupaychay, kayta mana shuk shina, mushuk yuyaypi, yuyaypi shinallatak chaskik kaypi riksishka diseñukunaman kun. Burunsi mishak kashkakunaka ruray ushayta charik shinallatak mancharina mushuk rurashkakunami, paykunata rurakkunapak achka yachayta, yuyayta shinallatak ruray ushayta rikuchinku. Nadir Samana Wasi sinchi yupaychashka, kuyashka shinallatak riksishka shuk ruray kanata munanku, ruray yuyaywan shinallatak mushuk yuyaywan. Kay Burunsi Premiu japishka diseñuka arti, siensia, diseñu shinallatak tekinolojíapi ashtawan alli ruraykunata tantachin shinallatak ima ukumanta rikuypi sumak kan. Nadir Samana Wasi mañaykunata alli paktachin, munaykunata llankan, shunkuta kuyachin shinallatak yachayta munayta kallarichin.

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)