The Whidbey Uparati vacation home is designed to hover gently above the grassy terrain, seamlessly integrating with the natural surroundings rather than imposing upon them. This approach minimizes both the visual and physical impact on the landscape. Visitors approach the house via a winding path through the grassland vegetation, ascending a gentle slope that leads directly to the retreat. This home serves as a sanctuary for families to meditate, strengthen their bonds, and engage in “uparata” — a Sanskrit term meaning tranquility.
Covering 1,880 square feet, this residence is gently perched atop the natural environment. Surrounded by lush grassland, the home is clad in warm-toned cedar, featuring expansive windows that visually and acoustically connect the interior with the outdoors. The courtyard-style layout centers around a terrace paved with crushed granite, complete with a reflecting pool, a fire pit, and a solitary camellia tree. The homeowner, who frequently travels to India for meditation retreats, commissioned architect Matt Wittman to create a space that serves both as an escape from urban life and a place dedicated to meditation and reflection.
The home features two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a versatile multi-purpose room, as well as a living room and kitchen designed for social interaction. Its transparent design invites residents to enjoy each other’s company while immersing themselves in the panoramic countryside views. Positioned at the highest point of the property, the house offers sweeping vistas of Useless Bay and the Olympic Mountains. During warmer months, the spacious west-facing terrace provides an ideal spot for relaxation.
The journey to this home begins in Bellevue, where the owner takes the Mukilteo Clinton ferry across Puget Sound before heading into the rural heart of Whidbey Island. The lane leading to the house gently winds uphill through native grassland vegetation, including bluegrass, Mexican feather grass, and slow girl grass, accented by summer bloomers like pinecone chrysanthemum and flowering sage. Chief landscape designer Jody Estes explains, “Our goal is to restore this site to its natural state through thoughtful landscape design. Removing invasive species and implementing a forest restoration plan are critical.” A walking path meanders through the five-acre property and will eventually lead to a meditation pavilion nestled in the forest.
At the end of the path, a staircase leads to the house’s highest point and main entrance. The low ceiling here creates a sense of compression, which gives way to an open, spacious living room and kitchen. Deeper inside, the home becomes increasingly transparent, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing views of water and mountains. The interior showcases simple wooden details — plywood walls, cedar tongue and groove ceilings, and white oak floors. Due to budget constraints, the architectural firm Wittman Estes designed the home to be straightforward to build, reducing construction time and costs. Wittman notes, “The simple wooden structure follows a four-foot grid.” The floor and roof are constructed using prefabricated truss-style joists (TJI), spanning columns and walls spaced at 12 and 16-foot intervals, creating a practical and efficient layout.
The home rests on a ground frame foundation system, eliminating the need for concrete footings. This approach reduces the carbon footprint by 77% compared to conventional concrete foundations. The micro pile technology acts like the roots of the house, anchoring it securely both structurally and visually. With a passion for cinema, the client wanted the house to offer cinematic visual compositions both inside and out. The progression of indoor spaces allows light and shadow to transform the atmosphere and perspective of each room, reminiscent of scenes in films by Roger Deakins. The interior color palette is neutral, allowing the occupants’ personal belongings to add vibrant accents and serve as focal points.
This modern retreat offers a meditative connection to the natural world. The calming color palette of the materials and the simplicity of the design highlight the home’s most cherished quality: in serenity, the sounds of nature are fully heard.
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