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.

The Miami Beach Edition, Miami Simplicity is king at the newest Edition hotel designed by Yabu Pushelburg, where beachfront views are complemented by light oak-paneled walls and teak lounge chairs. Glamour arrives at the hotel’s Matador Bar (collaged with vibrant photos of bullfighters) and Market restaurant, a gold-pillared “21st century food bazaar.”

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 home, clad in natural Australian timber, enjoys a sense of lightness thanks to slender columns that let it float over the dunes. The driveway and entry, at the rear of the building, have an understated design to build to the interior's magnificent ocean views. Firm director Phil Snowdon explains, “By creating an architectural form that draws your eye and leads you up the steep driveway, we could engage new visitors in a welcoming process that first reveals the object and then slowly reveals the main event, being the view."

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.

252 Bay Walk by Horace Gifford (1972-75). This house owes certain elements, like its "disembodied facade reminiscent of the oversized shading devices" to Paul Rudolph's work.

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!

Beyond the guest bedroom lies the rocky shore and the coastline's dramatic landscape. A 20-minute walk takes Schneider and her guests to small ponds (and calmer waters) in which to swim.

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

South American Beach Escape (Governador Celso Ramos, Brazil) Vacation-worthy beaches are as numerous as one-name soccer stars in Brazil, but this exceptional oceanfront rental offers something a bit different. Sure, the swaying hips of Ipanema aren’t in sight. Instead, you and up to seven other friends can enjoy one of a handful of private beaches, drink on the terrace, perhaps grill fish you caught in the property’s fishing boat or oysters you’ve lifted from neighboring rocks. After a few days stay, the house won’t be the only thing integrated with nature. p>Listing at Exceptional property private beach

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.

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

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 kitchen and dining area opens onto a patio. Photo by Ken Pagliaro Photography.

“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.

Architect David Montalba renovated a 1970s bungalow for Janette Sosothikul in Oxnard, California, a beach town midway between Malibu and Santa Barbara.