Nadir Kazi ya Msingi: Mapumziko by Paolo Demel is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Tuzo ya Shaba ya A' Design Award in Usanifu wa Majengo, Ujenzi na Miundo Competition Category.
ShabaUsanifu wa Majengo· 2026
Nadir Kazi ya Msingi: Mapumziko
by Paolo Demel
Client: Paolo Demel
Tuzo ya Shaba ya A' Design Award Winner in Usanifu wa Majengo Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #180614The Design
About Nadir Kazi ya Msingi: Mapumziko
Maandishi ya Kitabu: Nadir ni sehemu ya mapumziko iliyoko ndani ya Jangwa la Atacama, iliyoundwa kama usanifu unaoonekana kama umechongwa kutoka ardhini. Sehemu za mstatili zenye kimo cha chini zimekaa karibu na mwamba, zikitengeneza kumbi za nje zenye kina, viwanja vilivyokingwa dhidi ya upepo na vizingiti vyenye kivuli. Maji hutumika kama kioo cha kupoza, huku mabwawa ya nje yakiakisi anga la bonde na madimbwi yaliyozama yakiwa katika vyumba vilivyochongwa. Sehemu za ndani zimeundwa kwa nyuso za mawe zenye tabaka na fursa za oculus zinazoruhusu mwanga wa mchana uliodhibitiwa, zikipunguza mng'aro na joto. Mchanganyiko wa vifaa vya ujenzi wenye rangi ya mchanga, mwangaza na samani chache husisitiza hifadhi na mtazamo mpana.
The Recognition
About the Tuzo ya Shaba ya A' Design Award
Nadir Kazi ya Msingi: Mapumziko ni mshindi wa Tuzo ya Shaba ya A' Design Award, utambuzi wenye heshima kubwa unaotolewa kwa miundo bora inayotofautishwa kwa ubunifu, ustadi na busara. Washindi wa Shaba ni kazi za ufundi mwingi na bunifu ya kushangaza zinazothibitisha uzoefu mpana, mawazo na ustadi wa wabunifu wao. Nadir Kazi ya Msingi: Mapumziko inatarajiwa kuwa kitu kinachothaminiwa sana, kupendwa na kuenziwa, ambacho ni cha kitaalamu na bunifu kwa kiasi kikubwa. Muundo huu ulioshinda Tuzo ya Shaba ya A' Design Award unajumuisha mbinu bora katika sanaa, sayansi, usanifu na teknolojia, na ni bora kwa umakini wake kwa undani. Nadir Kazi ya Msingi: Mapumziko hutosheleza mahitaji kwa uzuri, hugusa hamu, huvutia hisia na kuvutia udadisi.
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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