Seven years ago, chef Ernesto Kut Gomez was flying between Mexico City and Vancouver when he stopped to see a friend in Todos Santos. “I fell in love with the place,” Ernesto remembers. “I loved the beach and the ruggedness and everything. And I’ve always loved historical buildings.” On that first trip, an 1800s brick structure caught his eye. “It was beautiful, but it was really in ruins. Like, it didn’t have a ceiling,” Ernesto says. Two impulses led him to purchase the building’s lot. “One was to inspire other people to preserve the history of the town—it’s very easy to destroy heritage,” he says. The second was to create “a place for hosting all kinds of friends in the food, music, and art industries. I wanted to have a place for residencies and cultural events and to open the door to the community.” After a thorough renovation under the guidance of architect Yashar Yektajo and Ernesto’s partner, architectural designer Ellen Odegaard, the property now holds five beds and six baths across four buildings, old and new. The compound’s most dramatic addition is likely the board-formed concrete tower that holds bedroom suites on the first two floors, an open-air kitchenette and bar on the third level, and a rooftop deck with multiple vantages. It provides a bird’s-eye-view of the property and vistas of the town, lush palms, the rolling desert, and, in the distance, the Pacific Ocean. And despite all you can see from the tower, it’s invisible when you’re standing on the street in front of Ernesto’s home. The residence melds with the rest of downtown Todos, a patchwork of cobblestone streets with sun-faded buildings. The home’s only tell is the freshly hewed tornillo-wood front door, ready to welcome those who know where to go. Take the full tour: https://www.dwell.com/article/historic-preservation-casa-melina-yektajo-architects-baja-retreat-59259b95