A Family Retreat Outside Yosemite Frames California Gold Country Like a Postcard
Mexico City firm PPAA punched a large hole through its center for picture-perfect views of oak trees, boulders, and rolling hills.
Mexico City firm PPAA punched a large hole through its center for picture-perfect views of oak trees, boulders, and rolling hills.
They loved Coarsegold for its natural beauty: unsullied views of the Sierra Madre’s rolling foothills, and Yosemite National Park just up the road. Orange County couple Juan Pablo Santillan and Tania Alvarado have been bringing their family to the area for the past several years to stay in a cottage on 22 unspoiled acres, which reminded Juan of his childhood, when he’d spend time outdoors with his brothers, sisters, and cousins. Wanting the same for their kids, he and Tania decided to purchase land in nearby Yosemite Lake to build a retreat of their own.
Outside Yosemite National Park, PPAA designed a yakisugi-clad retreat for a young family that fell in love with the Sierra’s rolling foothills. The firm placed the home where a clearing already existed.
Photo: Rafael Gamo
Juan, a tech entrepreneur, and Tania, an industrial designer, started talking with architect Pablo Pérez Palacios of Mexico City firm PPAA over Zoom about what a design might look like. They met in person for the first time on a camping trip to the property, where everyone pitched tents to think about how a home could complement the setting.
"We didn’t want a large-scale project, just framing nature was the concept," remembers Palacios. "Architecture shouldn't be a protagonist. Let the site be the show."
An opening running east to west creates an indoor/outdoor scheme that draws air through the home.
Photo: Rafael Gamo
"The common areas are made for seamless movement from one place to another," says homeowner Juan Pablo Santillan. "You open the doors and see people at the fireplace. You can be in the living room and feel like you’re a part of that."
Photo: Rafael Gamo
See the full story on Dwell.com: A Family Retreat Outside Yosemite Frames California Gold Country Like a Postcard
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