Origins

Chapter 1

Storytelling and hospitality
with Andrés Saavedra

Origins unveils a behind-the-scenes look at MUSA in a stimulating visual narrative of the project in the making. The latest chapter reveals a more personal insight into the mind of designer and visionary, Andrés Saavedra, as he recounts how youthful nostalgia and a romanticism for captivating journeys forged the path to building community, and how architectural spaces designed for the senses can set the stage for new experiences.

“I always wanted to be in hospitality as a form of complete storytelling. One of the things that is more interesting about hotels, and in general hospitality, are the experiences that you can create; related to all senses, how intimate it feels… your safe haven in the adventure you are about to begin.” –Andrés Saavedra

Growing up on a sprawling ranch outside a vibrant Mexico City, Andrés spent his childhood roaming the rolling fields of the property with his sisters, and being transported into stories of otherworldly safaris, explorers, and fearless adventurers from books and on the radio.

Ignited by the allure of travel in his early years through family trips and a curious imagination, Saavedra instinctively became immersed in a world of art and design, channeled by a rich family heritage in architecture. Early studies in photography and film became a portal to creating his own narratives through visual mediums, but it wasn’t long before visions of wild expeditions triggered an escape to the tropics in the pursuit of remote, untamed surf.

“The most romantic time of my life was being a child living on the ranch. It was a collection of trips and childhood memories that made me want to build a community. The Loma Bonita wave was an iconic wave. I started surfing, and that was the moment I realised I wanted to do it here.” –Andrés Saavedra

For Andrés, the art of storytelling, combined with a desire for the undiscovered and an intuition for design, symbiotically materialized into a natural instinct for hospitality, rooted in complete sensorial experience. It’s not just how a structure looks, but how it feels. Thoughtful design of all elements must come together to form a complete narrative, and functional, holistic space. The mission is always to achieve elevated comfort and the freedom to enjoy.

“You need to always have comfort in coming back home. But at the same time, as the place is so integrated into nature, all the food that you eat will be seasonal, all the smells will be seasonal. The idea is to always surprise people. Always changing, always evolving, always inspiring.” –Andrés Saavedra

As his utopian vision for community steadily moves from conceptual to physical, Saavedra’s penchant for intelligent, contemporary design, conscious infrastructure, and the championing of art shines as the pinnacle of what the future of MUSA can be. “We’re connecting the dots to make it as beautiful, efficient, and poetic as possible. Everything is a part of this puzzle that is going to be more interesting than just a simple construction on the coast. It’s beyond architecture.”