| Design and inspiration for a house at the beach.
Building or just dreaming? Get ideas from these gorgeous beach homes that not only suit their owners but complement their ocean-edge settings.
Selected from the pages of Fine Homebuilding magazine and designed by some of America's leading architects, these 17 beach homes provide design guidance for building in this challenging environment and inspiration for anyone planning to have, or dreaming about, a house at the beach.
With over 110 color photos and 40 drawings and floor plans, each home comes to life. You'll learn how architects and builders overcome the challenges of building at the waters' edge, and you'll discover primary residences as well as second homes from Rhode Island to California.
- Provides tips on how architects and builders overcome the challenges of building at the water's edge.
- Includes work from some of America's premier residential architects.
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- Covers primary residences as well as second homes.
From the Introduction:
People are irresistibly drawn to the ocean. But it's hard to explain the source of this primordial tug. Does the pounding surf recall the pounding of our mothers' hearts in the womb? Or is the ocean just nice to look at, cool to listen to and fun to play in? Whatever the reason, we all dream of a house at the beach.
Designing and building a house on the coast presents special challenges. People live differently at the beach, more casually, more socially. Views are always more important than they are in a typical subdivision. And you probably won't find an outdoor shower or a sink for cleaning fish behind a house in Des Moines.
Beach houses are also different because of the harsh marine environment. The wind, the sand and the salt air will destroy a house in short order if it's not detailed properly. So if you're planning your own beach house, it makes sense to study what others have built before you. But even if you're just dreaming, what could be more inspirational than a tour through other people's beach homes?
Collected here are 17 articles from past issues of Fine Homebuilding magazine. Featuring some of the coolest beach houses we've ever seen, the articles are written by the people who designed the homes and offer insights into that challenging process. So enjoy a day at the beach . . . and don't forget the sunscreen.—Kevin Ireton, editor in chief, Fine Homebuilding Magazine
Table of Contents
Introduction; Seattle Eclectic; Dueling Towers on the Carolina Coast; Building by the Water; A Little House with Rich Spaces; The House on Windy Beach; Block Island Boat House; A House Shaped by Its Site; Mango House; Guest House by the Bay; A Coastal Remodel Triumphs over Limits; Detailing Decks over Living Space; The Bridge House; Rebirth of a California Beach House; Home on the Beach; Classical Details in a Harsh Environment; Restoring Flaggship; One House at a Time. |
