Beach Homes

Strong winds, salt corrosion, gorgeous views, hurricanes, irregular foundations: there are many special considerations homeowners must keep in mind when constructing houses by the sea. This collection of article reprints from Fine Homebuilding magazine shows how more than a dozen professional architects have overcome these problems to create beautiful seaside homes. Their solutions are as varied as they are ingenious. On Block Island, RI, architect Brian Wilson created a boathouse-cum-cottage modeled on a 19th century Coast Guard station, with a large great room set off the main floor space to take advantage of the surrounding views. In Gloucester, MA, Jeremiah Eck pinned a house's foundation to a long rocky ledge in order to set the building closer to the water. And in Seattle, WA, Lane Williams renovated a""dark brown and avocado disaster from the 1960s"" into an energy-saving home with deep eaves that protect the interior from the area's drizzly weather. Though this book lacks an overarching chapter that would summarize and explain the architects' findings, its detailed floor plans, color photographs and clear, concise prose make it a good choice for anyone thinking of making a home along the shore.