this retreat home in the palo alto hills was built in the 70's by a young architect's vision for her retired parents. my partner kate courteau had already undertaken two renovations that transformed the house into it's destined floor plan where the best views can be enjoyed from the most commonly used spaces. in the third renovation we worked together to finish the property. the inside meets outside dream was achieved with large glass openings happening under new cedar and steel sun shades. outside we reworked the landscape into a more traversable terrain adding erosion resistant stairways that link the comfortable outdoor rooms with eachother and give easy access to the hiking trails in the adjacent open space reserve. we added a bathroom on the main level with clerestory windows that allow light and sky views to cross into the common areas. we added custom cabinets, built in furniture and wood clad walls. as we went through the project we came to call the process of adding the warming wood elements as "infusing soul". each space was optimized for comfort, storage and enjoyment of views. while the house is split level we were able to adjust the flow in a way that it facilitates family togetherness.