Beach recreation areas are one of the most favorable for walking and recreation of residents and guests of Sochi city. Therefore, the educational design of beach recreation areas in terms of environmental design aims to develop the image of the city of Sochi as a "resort city". The historical background of the use of natural balances of the coastal territory for mass use is considered. The beach areas of Sochi city are part of the coastal strip. The organization of natural beaches was associated with the removal of natural rocks into the sea from the mouths of rivers such as Sochi, Bytkha, Vereshchaginka, Khosta, Mzymta, and others. The creation of artificial natural beaches and the increase in their number is associated with the use of engineering structures in the Soviet period since the 1930s. The study of the formation of beaches on the Black Sea coast allowed the students of Sochi State University to competently organize methods for designing beach areas in such areas of the city as Dagomys, Central District, Khosta District. The projects were carried out by students and were focused on releasing the area of beach areas from unauthorized buildings; an arrangement of areas available for modernization by introducing new planning solutions. Reference objects in the form of buildings in the coastal zone are proposed. The forms of modernization of embankments with beach areas in student projects depend on the resolution of problematic issues for each site separately