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Architectural Angle
The staff at Architectural Design Incorporated answers the question,
What is Cape Cod style?
The notion that Cape Cod style is staid and tradition-bound is a misconception. The Cape Cod house has always been shaped by the people who have chosen to come to this windswept maritime terrain, people drawn to the constant proximity to the ocean. The Colonial saltbox, captain’s houses in Greek Revival and Federal styles, the Victorian summer cottage, the outer Cape’s modernist cottages—all are examples of styles that have emerged over time on Cape Cod. Taken together, they make up a rich and varied architectural vernacular, to say the least.
Most emblematic of all, perhaps, is the gray-shingled Cape house, a story-and-a-half with gabled windows and a sturdy central chimney anchoring it to the land. Made from available materials as shelter from a sometimes forbidding climate, it is solid, snug and inwardly focused. The pitch of its roof is a natural fit with the Cape’s rolling topography. It rests comfortably among the bluffs and dunes, a form in harmony with the land and seascapes that surround it. You can feel the small house envelop you, offering safe haven against the Cape’s natural ruggedness. It is a much-loved and enduring design because it is clean and natural, a reflection of the underpinnings of Cape life.
If there is one enduring principle of Cape Cod style, it is the element of scale. The Cape Cod house, whatever the style, resists grandiosity. It stands with the land, not against it. It can be elegant—even stately—but its dimensions are humanizing and comforting. Cape life is perpetually enriched by the contrast between the vast, exterior natural world (beautiful but unpredictable) and the sanctuary our interior spaces provide. Cape Cod style embraces this contrast.
New homes on the Cape today may have exterior frameworks and design elements that refer to traditional styles, but interior spaces are being dramatically transformed. Engineered lumber and steel framing make possible the construction of spaces with long spans and soaring ceilings. Families can more easily enjoy casual summer living within larger, shared spaces, bright and open, that encourage movement yet are directly linked to cozy spaces affording privacy and rest. Both are important to the spiritual life of the home and its inhabitants.
High-performance glazing and insulation materials minimize both energy loss and heat gain, allowing for broader outdoor vistas that merge the natural world with the interior living experience. Careful attention to design details and finish materials that beautify smaller interior spaces are today appreciated as a wiser investment than the creation of additional square footage for its own sake.
Many of the people who come to Cape Cod today are also well traveled, with firsthand experience of a wide range of world cultures, and they bring with them stylistic preferences and design elements they have collected along the way. Historically, this layering of cultures has always been consistent with Cape Cod style. Throughout the second half of the 19th century, Cape seamen made their fortunes in what we call the China Trade, though the artful objects they brought back to the Cape came not only from China but from many parts of the eastern world, including Japan, India and Burma. Cape residents prized these exotic furnishings, paintings and porcelains, mixing Asian styles with their own traditional ones. The nearness of the open ocean gave them a heightened awareness of the world beyond—the idea of distant, fabled lands—and it has the same effect on us today. The Cape’s population is more international than ever, using a rich cultural mix of styles to enliven their homes.
Those who come to the Cape often seek a place affirming their desire for a simplified life and their respect for the natural beauties offered in a unique and fragile environment. Protection and preservation of the land naturally follow. Stewardship of limited resources and energy, living in harmony with the land and with neighbors, are Yankee values that find expression in the new concept of sustainable or “green” design. So we see it becoming an increasingly important component of the Cape Cod style. Here, renewable, recycled and recycleable materials can be incorporated into any design aesthetic. In fact, green design is introducing an expanding array of innovative, low-maintenance and artistic building and finish materials from all over the world.
Home is a timeless concept. It is where we put order to chaos, seeking safety, solace and contentment. It is the repository of our treasured memories. These are constants. The Cape Cod home will always reflect the personal values of its inhabitants, given form by the technical capabilities of the time, just as it always has.
New homes on the Cape today may have exterior frameworks and design elements that refer to traditional styles, but interior spaces are being dramatically transformed. Engineered lumber and steel framing make possible the construction of spaces with long spans and soaring ceilings. Families can more easily enjoy casual summer living within larger, shared spaces, bright and open, that encourage movement yet are directly linked to cozy spaces affording privacy and rest. Both are important to the spiritual life of the home and its inhabitants. 
Those who come to the Cape often seek a place affirming their desire for a simplified life and their respect for the natural beauties offered in a unique and fragile environment. Protection and preservation of the land naturally follow. Stewardship of limited resources and energy, living in harmony with the land and with neighbors, are Yankee values that find expression in the new concept of sustainable or “green” design. So we see it becoming an increasingly important component of the Cape Cod style. Here, renewable, recycled and recycleable materials can be incorporated into any design aesthetic. In fact, green design is introducing an expanding array of innovative, low-maintenance and artistic building and finish materials from all over the world.
