From Scandinavia to Big Sur: Eight of the world's best beach houses

The perfect coastal home must cope with shifting sands, heavy winds and sloped terrains – here are some of the smartest and most stunning designs in the world.

Stilts for sloped terrain or shifting sands and sea; fabulous views; an internal courtyard; and a protective shutter system in case of extreme weather. These are some of the things on architects' checklists when they're deg a beach house. Whether it's in the Scottish Highlands or California's Big Sur, the elements and the experience must stay front of mind.

On the Danish coast, "The weather is unpredictable, so we design beach houses with intimate outdoor spaces and corners which shelter from different wind directions," says Danish architect, Mette Lange, whose book Earth, Sky & Water features some of her beach homes.

Tom Kundig of Seattle-based architects Olson Kundig asks clients: "How often do they want to open their home to the landscape and engage the beach itself? Do they need privacy from public beach areas">window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'alternating-thumbnails-a', container: 'taboola-below-article', placement: 'Below Article', target_type: 'mix' });