There’s always something special about a first time. That moment that we know will never be repeated inspires an aura that is a catalyst for the quest for some kind of perfection, often, and fortunately, perfectly imperfect.
Nua Nak means ‘honouring the old ways’ and was the name chosen by Jasmine Scalesciani-Hawken for her first architecture and interior design project, a wellness retreat in Baja California, Mexico, just a stone’s throw from the beach and housed on a medicinal herb farm. Jasmine, who traces her ancestry back to Italy and Argentina, was flooded with fond memories on a visit to El Pescadero — where Nua Nak is located — realising the potential for a simple, unspoilt way of life. Her extensive experience in the wellness industry allowed her to grow rejuvenating foods and herbs and spend two years regenerating the soil before starting to build what would be the first residence for Ayurvedic retreats and fasting programmes she had developed herself.
The inspiration for the architectural project emerged from the impressions and experiences she has gathered while travelling and from the places where she has lived, especially her childhood home, designed by the Italian architect Alberto Ponis, among the rock formations of the Costa Paradiso in Sardinia and which is seamlessly integrated into nature.