Hale at the Waterline

The smallest beach houses often know the most about weather. This little hale stands on stilts where the sand stays damp, its teak boards silvered by salt and its open louvers aimed toward the trade wind.

At high tide the waves reach close enough to speak under the floorboards. Inside, nothing needs to be fancy: a cot, a chair, a dry towel, and the whole ocean moving just beyond the steps.