This 3,200-square-foot structure was assembled with a prefabricated foundation, concrete panel siding, and efficient built-ins, minimizing construction debris and toxins—such as concrete foundation tar—on the site.

Mike Kurokawa and Paul Fishman set out for the beach from their house in the Puna region of Hawaii. A bridge leads from street level to the upper floor of the house, which is situated in a natural depression, or kipuka.

Built to go off the grid, this remote beachside cottage can open up completely to the outdoors with its series of movable wall-sized glass panels and screens. Designed by Herbst Architects, the modest New Zealand bach comprises two rectangular pavilions built with mostly natural materials chosen for their durability, texture, and weathering characteristics.

Fed up with flashy, environmentally insensitive beach homes, architect Gerald Parsonson and his wife, Kate, designed a humble hideaway nestled behind sand dunes along the New Zealand coastline. Crafted in the image of a modest Kiwi bach, their 1,670-square-foot retreat consists of a group of small buildings clad in black-stained pine weatherboards and fiber-cement sheets.

The family spends summers and school vacations at the bach. New Zealand's relatively mild winters mean they use the house year-round.

Kayak in hand, Tom and Will make a break for the beach.

The Casa Cuatro sits above a 180-foot cliff that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. The locally quarried stone makes the house blend in with the landscape and acts as a thermal-mass wall, absorbing heat during the day and releasing it through the evening.

The house was built on piers (save for the lower-level bedroom) so that little of the natural landscape would be disturbed.

Having purchased the land from a friend who also has a house in the community, Schneider had a better sense of what she wanted—and what she didn't—her site. "From the experience at the neighbor's house," Foster says, "she knew she didn't want the house to have its back to the morning sun so we created a deck and somewhere to sit outside that faces east." Don't miss a word of Dwell! Download our FREE app from iTunes, friend us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter!

Though the house is a conversation piece in the more traditional neighborhood, its natural materials nicely complement its surroundings.

The steps lead to a roof deck, where the owners can enjoy sweeping views of the ocean.

The couple, both surfers and beach lovers, wake up to stunning views of the azure-blue Southern Ocean in their otherwise monochromatic eucalyptus master bedroom. Wardle’s firm designed the bed base, and the panel in the ceiling hides a television.

Joined by architect Michael Lee and friend Gus McConnell, Jacobson shouts up to Dukes that they’re headed out for an impromptu surf session.

“The steep site lends itself to the ‘upside down’ configuration,” Harkness explains. “It certainly wouldn’t work as well if you could only access the house via the lower level, as this is through the bedroom zone, so we included two entrances. The upper one involves walking across a little bridge.”

The top floor opens onto an expansive deck on the north side of the house. An entry yard on its east side provides a seamless connection to the outdoor environment, while ensuring adequate shading and screening for privacy.

“In consideration of the context, the design aimed to reinterpret the traditional beach shack vernacular in a contemporary way by embracing traditional materials, including corrugated metal, fiber cement sheeting, and timber elements,” Rathmayr says.

The product can be found in dwellings around the country, from luxury beach homes to high-profile residential towers in Manhattan.

The architects’ inventive use of resources helped keep costs down. “We gave the facade’s ribbed metal cladding, commonly used in neighboring beach shacks, a metallic finish that provided a cost-effective solution and an upscale appearance,” Rathmayr says.

In the kitchen, a Blanco exhaust fan is surrounded by a stove, oven, and dishwasher by Westinghouse. A series of pendants by She Lights are equipped with LED fittings.

The cedar plywood paneling used throughout the project adds a mellow quality to the light. The dropped fiberglass screen recalls an outdoor shower, but also provides privacy. The materials were chosen for their texture, weathering characteristics, durability, and organic appearance — while fiberglass may not actually be natural, says architect Lance Herbst, the type used here, with its visible fibers, has a natural quality. The basin is Metrix, and the shower curtain by Catherine David.

The largest portion of the living area is supported by cross-braced columns. Flanged steel beams create a strong, lightweight frame.

Gerald designed the bach to feel as casual as possible, hence the lack of a paved driveway and garage.

Approached from the driveway, the home is accessed along a stone path that turns into a series of wide, wooden steps. The home's angular roofline is a dramatic form against the natural backdrop, but the wood cladding connects it to the site.

Working within a tight footprint due to building restrictions, the two-story main building includes most of the bedrooms and communal spaces, with guest quarters placed in a separate structure.

Gray Organschi took down a worn-out 1970s summer home and reinvented it as a serene pair of bleached cedar volumes connected by a glass bridge.

Street Entrance Facade

A beach house in the coastal Chilean town of Punta de Lobos.

"The hut is a series of simple design moves," says the firm. "The form is reminiscent of a surf lifesaving or observation tower."

"The placement of the stacked boxes and the space between them has been treated in a sculptural way—always considering the functional needs of habitability and the beauty of the house," explains Estudio Caballero Colón.

Looking North into the Dining Room

In the bathroom, Martin selected Heath Ceramics Conclave Diamond tile in citrus green for the glass-enclosed Kohler tub, which is outfitted with nickel Kallista fixtures. A matching toilet by Kohler in the color Cashmere blends with the custom-fabricated concrete sink by Get Real Surfaces. Photo by Patrick Bernard.