The beach house is a construction dedicated to the worship of the sun
The beach house occupies a special place in our hearts. It represents warmth, fun, relaxation, and total freedom from the daily stress of urban living, even if it’s just for the weekend. From the sunny sands of California and the rocky eastern seaboard to the balmy beaches of tropical islands and the azure Mediterranean coastline, anywhere you find a gorgeous stretch of beach and someone who appreciates it, you’ll find a beach house.
From a historical perspective, the beach house plays an important role in the American consciousness. The prospect of owning a second home specifically for the purpose of leisure became a reality for the newly prosperous middle classes of the United States in the post-World War II boom years. They suddenly had the means to hire architects to quickly design and construct small, economic summer getaway homes that could be easily closed up when not in use. The seaside vacation home swiftly became assimilated into the American dream as a must-have item, at least for a while. Images of the beach house still abound throughout our culture, inevitably tied up with thoughts of summer, family, picnics, good times, and, most significantly, sunshine.
Above all, the beach house is a construction dedicated to the worship of the sun. This is not strictly an American conception. Beach houses around the world come in all shapes and sizes, but they all share one overarching design principle: let the sunshine in.
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