ORIGIN…SHAPE THE CAPe

Young professionals and families are leaving Cape Cod because they cannot afford the housing costs and their professional ambitions are not matched by opportunity. The Side Hustle House addresses both of these concerns with a comfortable and efficient house plan that adapts to life's changes while supporting methods of generating income on the side.

According to the 'Shape the Cape' demographic survey, more than half of young Cape Cod residents need to supplement their primary income because they are not earning enough from their primary jobs to cover basic living expenses and add to their savings. Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, VRBO, TaskRabbit, Beautycounter, LuLaRoe, etc. have all been developed to help fill this growing demand. It is time for the housing market to catch up.

The Side Hustle House has the charm of a classic Cape cottage and the flexibility of a swiss army knife. It supports a wide range of living arrangements, from growing and/or intergenerational families to roommates and unattached singles. It can start as a simple two-bedroom unit and turn into a three-bedroom house with an office, a two-bedroom home with a vacation rental, or a one-bedroom unit with an apartment above. Each configuration is designed with a balance of privacy and connection in mind. The primary living spaces are all oriented to one side, so a series of houses can be built in a row without compromising privacy. The exterior design is a fresh take on a classic cottage form, ensuring the home's long-term marketability.

The impact of this design is greater than a single house or a development. The architect and Cape Cod Young Professionals, a local non-profit, have teamed to offer The Side Hustle House as an open source set of plans. The mission is to provide a resource that is "shovel-ready" for builders and developers, a template for real estate agents with land listings, a low barrier to entry project for potential homeowners, and an asset for communities.
The adaptable, expandable house, and the community it supports, has been developed with a particular market and aesthetic in mind, but with minor modifications this base plan could easily translate to compliment any regional style. The Side Hustle House project goes beyond the functional requirements of "missing middle" housing to understand the needs and desires of residents today.