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Architectural Angle

Architect Sara Jane Porter responds to the question:
What is Cape Cod style?

When I begin a slide presentation called “Will the Real Cape Cod House Please Stand Up?” I ask the audience what they think a Cape Cod house is. The answers are diverse and range from naming examples like the typical symmetrical five-bay, one-story Cape or a two-story half house to noting the rambling quality of many houses, the layering of architectural elements and details that have evolved through the centuries, the use of particular materials, a sense of scale, massing, arrangement of elements and setting. I’ve often agreed with the variety of answers.

Although the image we conjure up of the “Cape” house is a symmetrical, 1-1/2-story dwelling with a center chimney and stairwell with bedrooms in the attic, the Cape style of architecture is really a study in evolution. For example, a few centuries ago, someone built a half Cape with two windows on one side of the front door. Later, needing more space, they doubled the size, resulting in a full Cape. In the early 1800s, when the Greek Revival style was the craze, the family raised the roof and created an extra half story, giving space for the heavier detailed entablature. In the mid-1800s, an Italianate arched window or a Gothic pointed arched window might have been incorporated in the gable end, and in the late 1800s, the family might have added a front porch with spindle work popularized by the Queen Anne style. Beyond modified Capes, new houses were built with their own forms, rooflines and elements reflecting the fashion of the day, the owner’s needs and advances in technology.

There is an array of architectural styles today on the Cape, most of which look to the past. This array continually reinterprets forms and volumes, window styles and arrangements, trim details, materials and rooflines of past styles. For example, the symmetry, simplicity and rectangular quality of the late 1700s and early 1800s Georgian and Federal style architecture contrasts with the complexity of roof forms and the detail of trim of the late 1800s Queen Anne style and the broad sweeping roof lines of the Shingle style.

My clients often want homes where they can gather their growing families in open floor plans, which include the kitchen, dining area and family room with a fireplace. There is a need for more bedrooms and bathrooms for children, grandchildren and guests, often an elaborate master bedroom suite, more attention to space for outdoor living and more storage space. As they age or they watch their parents age, they want to incorporate features for accessibility, like wide doors and hallways, larger bathrooms, specialized bathroom fixtures and one-floor living.

The future of architecture will likely continue demonstrating affection for the past while incorporating innovative elements and materials. There are more manmade materials, more efficient windows and heating systems and high-tech accommodations for computer, TV, telecommunication and sound systems. People hope to design homes that are compatible with the natural surroundings and existing architectural styles, demonstrating a respect for and interest in history. Their homes reflect an increasing need for convenience and comfort while trying to preserve the quality of life on Cape Cod that attracted them in the first place.

Sara Jane Porter is a Yarmouthport architect who has a special interest in preservation of historic structures.