There’s a particular joy in building sandcastles—anyone with a bucket and shovel on a beach knows it. Forget the inevitability of the tide; the pleasure lies in watching the sand take shape, carving levels, adding details—moats, flags, seashell windows—and becoming an architect of sand, even if just for a moment.
Jeffrey Dungan is an actual architect (he’s the founder and creative director of Jeffrey Dungan Architects), but he knows the feeling well. “These houses feel a little like sandcastles,” he says, referring to the Hill section of Manhattan Beach, California, “with similar shapes and colours and textures.” Built on what were once exposed sand dunes, nearly every home in the neighbourhood has tiered, unobstructed views of the Pacific.