A Family Retreat Outside Yosemite Frames California Gold Country Like a Postcard

Amy Dvorak
·2 min read
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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.

So as not to disrupt the surroundings, PPAA designed the home where a clearing already existed. Founding Partner and Creative Director Pablo Peréz Palacios says voids are essential to his work. "How do we do more with less?
So as not to disrupt the surroundings, PPAA designed the home where a clearing already existed. Founding Partner and Creative Director Pablo Peréz Palacios says voids are essential to his work. "How do we do more with less?

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."

Two large openings flank the east and west sides of the home, offering expanded indoor-outdoor living and cross ventilation.
Two large openings flank the east and west sides of the home, offering expanded indoor-outdoor living and cross ventilation.
"The common areas are made for a seamless move from one place to another,
"The common areas are made for a seamless move from one place to another,

See the full story on Dwell.com: A Family Retreat Outside Yosemite Frames California Gold Country Like a Postcard
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