About

Coastal Design Journal looks at how design shapes places beside the sea. It covers buildings, materials, shared spaces and the details that affect how people experience a shore-side place. It is for curious readers who want to look beyond the postcard view and understand the choices behind what they see.

A place, not a backdrop

The coast is not just scenery. Buildings meet changing light and weather; paths and public spaces shape how people reach the water; materials carry traces of local use and maintenance. We consider these elements as parts of a designed place, rather than treating the sea as decoration.

What we cover

Our subjects range from the outline of a coastal building to the surface of a seawall, from a public promenade to the small design decisions at a doorway. We also explore how coastal design has changed over time, and how familiar forms acquire meaning through use.

A reader's eye

We write for general readers, not only design professionals. Pieces aim to make observation easier: identify a feature, consider what it does, and notice how it relates to the wider place. Where an interpretation is uncertain, we distinguish it from what can be directly observed.