The name beach house is used to signify and show a housing structure built near the beach or a large mass of the water body. Mostly, they are houses used as vocational homes or second homes for people who work in further places. They are equally used by people of good financial means and ability as vocational homes or where the wealthy and their families go to spend vocational periods like the holidays. Beach houses are usually designed and constructed with considerations of the weather of that particular geographic location. Thus, beach houses are uniquely different from one another, because they are designed and structured to survive the type of weather that they are built. A common feature that runs across the beach houses is their use of local materials, native plants and the fact that they are usually situated in open areas, for ambience and breeze that emanate from the sea or the ocean.
For the purpose of this essay, I will use pictures to help demonstrate the architectural design and the materials used in the building and the construction of a beach house.
The above two buildings are Italianate architectural designs which have been built using bricks as their building blocks. This confirms the assumption that this region could have a windy weather, and thus the bricks can withstand it, in case of any extreme weather. The eaves are evidently bracketed, the gutter line and the large and slender window panes all strategically built to allow for maximum breeze. The observation decks and porches are extensions of the foundations but have since been shaded with subsequent storeys of the building. Copper is the choice of roofing material because it does not corrode easily under the influence of salty waters that are catalytic to reaction and corrosion of metals.
These beach houses have been built with mangrove wooden planks, from the foundation to the topmost part of it. The landscape is favourable because the lawn is green. The basic benefit of the wooden planks is that they are all weather seasoned and do not erode easily. When building a beach house it is important for a person to consider the extremities of the weather and the corrosiveness of the building material. It is important to note that being close to salty water, which is a chemical catalyst for corrosion; the mangrove wooden planks would withstand the test of time without getting corroded.
Because the house is so close to the water body, the cypress wood siding, viewable at the top of the house helps in two ways. Firstly, it could be to minimise the effects of salty water moisture that may come from the ocean. So instead of steel, the cypress is perfect for this situation. Secondly, the “would be” the cypress wood sidings equally withstand the effects of wind currents.
These particular beach houses have had their foundation reinforced with rebar and concrete. The stilt pavement and a shiny foundation confirms that the rebar was mixed with concrete-rebar add strength to the foundation of the house. It seems as though the pipes have passed through a mixture of concrete and rear so that they do not erode or corrode easily. Wood sidings add the cosmetic and semantic value of the beach house so that it looks more attractive and pleasing to the eye. Therefore, the visual appeal is ensured by the wood sidings. The roofing has been lay by metal. The close fitting silvery looking roof is obviously metal and not cedar because metal can withstand extreme wind or extreme sunny conditions.
The windows are spacious enough and are laden with glass. Glass is an obvious since it is “impact resistant” and the obvious choice here because it allows for maximum penetration of light, the beautiful ambience of sunlight and it also the occupants to view the breeze and the beautiful topographical landscape. The proximity of the house to the beach exposes it to the chances of corrosion from the salty sea water. This phenomenon explains why there is no stainless steel on the exterior finishing and rather, wood and wood sidings are used instead.
These ones have been built using timber, square and round pilings, beams and decking materials. The joists and stringers are also appealing. The above is also a two-storey building with timber staircase. It is needless to emphasise the functions of the timber in this structure. It has been built in the open place, therefore, it is highly likely that there will be strong wind currents and the pilings were thus, appropriate for that circumstance. The foundation seems to have been built with a mixture of rear and real, to allow it withstand any eventualities in terms of weather such as hurricanes that may wash the house away. The architectural design is aerodynamic and beautiful. This is a hip-roof design; thus, only a fraction of the extreme wind could affect the house in terms of corrosion.
The windows and doors have a vinyl coating over the wood to help the house withstand and resist moisture in the air that might be salty.
Apparently depict able in this house is the use of plastic laden over the source of light, the bulb. Plastic does not corrode easily even in conditions of extreme weather like that of the beach. The visual appeal here is maintained by use of the wood sidings painted white. If a viewer extrapolates the view aesthetic view of the house, one finds that the house fits well with the topographical background. There are traces of stucco, in the close to the sidings, which increase the cosmetic and visual appeal of the beach house. In brief, this house is harmonious with the topographical landscape and surrounding.
The roofing design here is a flat one, this point to the likelihood that there are Spanish roofing tiles. As much as the Spanish tiles are costly, their benefits by far outweigh their costs. To begin with, they help reflect the excessive sunlight and heat which might otherwise enter the house and bring discomfort to the occupants. Subsequently, is the notion that the tiles allow the breeze and heavy wind to blow over the house without any resistance. These two characteristics confirm the idea that Spanish tiles are the strong enough and fit the financial cost, which might be otherwise costly.
The surrounding topography shows that these houses were built on a sandy surface. The question of safety risks and the exposure to the chances that the house may be washed away is answered by the mixture of rebar and concrete for the foundation. Galvanized copper has been used for the roofing. This is to ensure that the beach house’s roof does not corrode quickly due to the harsh extremities in the large water body seen at the background. The crawl space is made of concrete and reinforced steel to prevent concrete from cracking when the weather changes during different times. It is worth to note that when the heat is extreme, and then it becomes cold, the concrete has no ability to expand and contract with the climatic changes, therefore, it may crack. Steel is reinforced to allow for bimetallic strip of expansion and contraction. There are observation decks built by timber, to allow the occupants have a beautiful view of the water body.
The beams that support the second and third floor of the beach house are built by concrete and reinforced steel, for the purpose, discussed above. Rebar and concrete would ensure that the foundation of the beach house supports the weight of the subsequent floors. Additionally, they would help the house to withstand the strong winds and hurricanes that might come from the water body, if any. This house is in an open space, with large entry ways which co-join with the foundation of the house.
The exterior of these two beach houses are built with visually appealing materials such as fibreglass that has the strength and ability to withstand the harsh extremities of climate and weather. The roofing design is built with an envelope design to minimise the effects of wind that may penetrate to the house. The lighting materials are laced with stainless steel and plastic.
The basement has a crawl space in front of the beach house. This shows that the rebar or the reinforcing steel was used to fortify the foundation of the house. There are stilts on the foundation of the house that enhances visual appeal and aesthetic beauty. The windows are energy-efficient and, therefore, there is ample insulation, and complete circulation of air. This explains why the door and the windows are laced and coated with vinyl. Vinyl helps to protect the house against salty moisture that might corrode the exterior finishing of the windows and doors. It is accurate to hold the assumption that the roofing installation has exceeded the R-value, because of the extreme weather and climatic near the water body.
These two beach houses have been built by timber and cypress wood sidings. The roofs are made of cedar, implying that it is a temporal vocational structure. The foundations and support pillars are built on wooden beams, probably cypress or mangrove for visual appeal and cosmetic beauty.
Conclusion
In the above essay, I have provided graphical and pictorial images of beach houses with the aim of demonstrating the various building materials. As much as beach houses re predominantly used for vocational and recreational reasons, the architectural designs must not only be appealing but also safe for the occupants. This is because beach house is situated at places of extreme climatic and weather conditions. At the very minimum, the building materials must be able to withstand the harsh climatic conditions which may wither the house. Therefore, depending on the topography and landscape of a particular beach, the designer may opt for the safest foundation materials. Universally, the irreducible minimum is usually to reinforce concrete with rebar or steel. It is also advisable to minimise or avoid the use of steel or metal which happens to be corrosive on the exterior finishing, and instead use wood sidings.
