Wawona Cabin Transformed: Maximized Space and an Ode to Nature

A new family retreat feels at home in a familiar location.

12 hours ago

Linda Hayes,

Architect Dan Wickline selected local craftsmen to assist in constructing this Wawona, California, home. Dark wood siding “camouflages” the building and settles it into the environment. | Photo: Andrew Pogue

Searching for an architect who could build a new home for them on a property in the Wawona district of California’s Yosemite National Park, Katy and Rick Jacobson found exactly what they were looking for in Dan Wickline, owner and principal of Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects in Seattle, Washington.

“We were searching for someone who would understand our goal of maximizing the site, which had been in my family since 1954, while respecting the wilderness and creating a legacy property for our kids,” explains Katy. “What Dan came up with was beyond our imagination.”

Ensuring plenty of casual gathering space, the main living area features a comfortable Kelston couch from Design Within Reach and custom built-in shelving for collectibles. The space opens to a narrow deck with seating and access to the outdoors. | Photo: Andrew Pogue

Before he even began conceiving a home on the postage-stamp-size lot, on which was set a rundown 900-square-foot cabin, Wickline did what has become second nature to him over the years: “I spent a lot of time on the site and inside the park, getting a sense of the materiality of the place,” he says. “The primary challenge was capturing its essence while working within the constraints of the surroundings and the verticality of the site.”

Eventually, plans for a nearly 3,000-square-foot structure brought other challenges, such as finding a general contractor, subcontractor and craftspeople who could produce a house of the desired caliber, as well as gaining access to materials that had to be brought in from far afield. The primary challenge was solved as chosen workers came to understand that the project was an opportunity to showcase their skills. Fresno-based Zumwalt Construction played a key role in the project as well.

The floor plan, including the double height living room, was laid out to capture views in all directions, such as into the surrounding forest. The owners often relax there, including when their extended families visit. | Photo: Andrew Pogue

The building’s material palette is wholly of the landscape. Outside, dark vertical cedar siding and a wraparound ipe wood deck allow the home to blend into the environment. Inside, a reclaimed wood floating staircase connects the three levels. At the top of the stairs, a library with telescoping doors features a window seat that doubles as a sleeping area for guests.

On the main floor, the kitchen features a beech island and cabinetry and gray quartz countertops, while the dining areas open to a double-height living room with sliding doors to the outside and built-in shelving for photos and found objects. Open on two sides, the living room offers sweeping mountain views. On the second floor, the primary bedroom was strategically placed to capture views of the landmark Wawona Dome.

Treads fashioned from thick pieces of reclaimed fir impart the impression of a floating stair. | Photo:

About the end result of the project, Wickline notes, “There are two things that are really important to us in our work. One is that we create a space that resonates with our client and that they love and enjoy; the other is that it enhances and works within the site. I feel like we achieved both things in this project.”

Telescoping doors reveal a niche that doubles as office space and a sleeping area with a view. | Photo: Andrew Pogue

Always with a connection to the outdoors in mind, the kitchen is open and bright. The light wood palette is continued in custom kitchen cabinetry and a floating island with seating. | Photo: Andrew Pogue

A nighttime scene depicts the home against an early evening sky. | Photo: Andrew Pogue

While relaxing on a deck at sunset, it’s easy to imagine what life was like when the wife’s family pioneered the homestead decades ago; true serenity and the satisfaction of home. | Photo: Andrew Pogue