Houzz Tours
My Houzz: A Playground Designer Slips In a Slide at Home
Vibrant colors and an exterior slide, combined with green building strategies, create a fun, family-friendly house
Six years after buying a 1927 brick cottage, landscape architects Cathryn Kohn and Gary Ford of Outlines Landscape Architecture solidified their goals for an addition. They engaged their in-house senior architect, Kate Douglas, to fine-tune their ideas and turn them into reality.
They extended the back of the house and built an upstairs addition to house a new master suite, incorporating sustainable elements like solar panels and water tanks. Most exciting, they installed a playground slide on the home’s exterior for a sense of fun. The result is a bright and feature-filled house with an emphasis on outdoor spaces and an efficient, eco-friendly plan.
They extended the back of the house and built an upstairs addition to house a new master suite, incorporating sustainable elements like solar panels and water tanks. Most exciting, they installed a playground slide on the home’s exterior for a sense of fun. The result is a bright and feature-filled house with an emphasis on outdoor spaces and an efficient, eco-friendly plan.
The original floor plan of the cottage shows the small rear kitchen and the dining room, which were removed for the addition. By converting the original living room into another bedroom and adding a master suite upstairs, the family now enjoys a house with four bedrooms and two baths.
With the renovation, Kohn, Ford and Douglas maximized northern light, outdoor space and solar gain for the addition with a setback from the north property line. The L-shaped plan provided space for the deck and slide on the ground level, and for the upper deck overhead, which can be accessed from the master suite.
With the renovation, Kohn, Ford and Douglas maximized northern light, outdoor space and solar gain for the addition with a setback from the north property line. The L-shaped plan provided space for the deck and slide on the ground level, and for the upper deck overhead, which can be accessed from the master suite.
Kohn and Ford visited homes open to the public on Australia’s Sustainable House Day for a few years in a row to get ideas for their own build. They also found inspiration for design ideas browsing Green Magazine and Sanctuary magazine.
The passive design features that shaped the floor plan include the orientation to northern exposure, large eave overhangs limiting summer heat gain, thoughtful placement of windows for year-round natural light, zoning of the house for thermal control of individual spaces, and placing operable windows and doors on opposing sides of the house for cross ventilation.
“It costs no more to design your house with the correct orientation — and saves you lots of money on heating and cooling in the long run,” Kohn says.
The passive design features that shaped the floor plan include the orientation to northern exposure, large eave overhangs limiting summer heat gain, thoughtful placement of windows for year-round natural light, zoning of the house for thermal control of individual spaces, and placing operable windows and doors on opposing sides of the house for cross ventilation.
“It costs no more to design your house with the correct orientation — and saves you lots of money on heating and cooling in the long run,” Kohn says.
The addition is heated with a hydronic system and wall radiators. A thermal chimney via the stairwell, an upstairs fan, zone partitions and operable windows allow heat to disperse and expel as needed. The thermal mass of the double brick wall construction provides additional passive heating and cooling by retaining heat and releasing it in cooler temperatures.
An integrated array of photovoltaic panels, installed in 2009, provides 1.5 kilowatts of power to supplement the family’s electrical needs pending an upgrade. In addition, all windows and doors are double-paned and wood-framed.
An integrated array of photovoltaic panels, installed in 2009, provides 1.5 kilowatts of power to supplement the family’s electrical needs pending an upgrade. In addition, all windows and doors are double-paned and wood-framed.
The exposed brick seen here was salvaged from the original kitchen. The builders scrubbed the bricks for reuse while waiting for deliveries.
Handmade clay wall tiles: Bespoke Tile & Stone
Handmade clay wall tiles: Bespoke Tile & Stone
Ford and Douglas selected the colors for the interiors. “I wasn’t so sure about the white walls everywhere, but I like it now,” Kohn says. “It doesn’t clash with the raw materials.” She finds entertaining much easier in the new living spaces: “The spaces are more fluid and larger.”
One regret she has is the decision to use Corian for the countertop above the kitchen island, since she doesn’t think it fits with the natural finishes in the space. If she could do it again she would go with recycled wood.
The blackwood light fixtures are by local designer Ross Gardam. Kohn and Ford saw them at Melbourne Indesign, an annual interior design fair, and were keen to support a local designer with their selection.
One regret she has is the decision to use Corian for the countertop above the kitchen island, since she doesn’t think it fits with the natural finishes in the space. If she could do it again she would go with recycled wood.
The blackwood light fixtures are by local designer Ross Gardam. Kohn and Ford saw them at Melbourne Indesign, an annual interior design fair, and were keen to support a local designer with their selection.
The kitchen counters are cast concrete, which were built off-site twice. The first set was thinner in profile and developed a structural crack. The second time around, the builder added depth to the profile, and additional rebar for the final installation.
Energy efficiency follows suit in the kitchen, with an induction cooktop; a five-star dishwasher, according to Australia’s water-efficiency labeling and standards; and water-efficient faucets.
Energy efficiency follows suit in the kitchen, with an induction cooktop; a five-star dishwasher, according to Australia’s water-efficiency labeling and standards; and water-efficient faucets.
The floors and the decking are made from spotted-gum planks. Ford had specified recycled, if possible, but discovered that it is a lot easier to specify recycled than to actually find the quantities needed. Instead, the couple settled for sustainably harvested spotted gum throughout. The sealant is a water-based finish that meets the low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) requirements for all paints, stains and surface treatments used in the house.
Douglas positioned the master bedroom windows 5½ feet above the floor level to reduce views into neighboring private spaces. In the warmer weather, the windows are always open to enhance the thermal cooling effect by eliminating hot air, drawing in cool air, and cross ventilating.
A recycled-wood bed includes storage drawers underneath. Kohn has a dust allergy and chose a soft biopolymer carpet made from corn sugar.
Haiku fan: Big Ass Fans; Eco+ carpet: Godfrey Hirst
A recycled-wood bed includes storage drawers underneath. Kohn has a dust allergy and chose a soft biopolymer carpet made from corn sugar.
Haiku fan: Big Ass Fans; Eco+ carpet: Godfrey Hirst
The undersink drawer in the master bedroom’s en suite pulls out for easy access to bathroom supplies and a laundry basket.
Kohn recommends keeping an eye on the big picture as well as minding the details when it comes to design decisions. “Don’t get too lost in the big picture; take care to check the smaller things and the fixtures and fittings are what you want,” she says. “Make sure you run through things like … light switch locations with the architect too — that stuff has to work for you.”
Encaustic hexagonal cement tiles: Bespoke Tile & Stone
Kohn recommends keeping an eye on the big picture as well as minding the details when it comes to design decisions. “Don’t get too lost in the big picture; take care to check the smaller things and the fixtures and fittings are what you want,” she says. “Make sure you run through things like … light switch locations with the architect too — that stuff has to work for you.”
Encaustic hexagonal cement tiles: Bespoke Tile & Stone
The deck off the master bedroom provides access to the slide. Kohn appreciated the pride expressed by builder Greg Dickson’s carpenter while installing the balcony decking. “I once congratulated him on how good the balcony decking looked, and he replied, ‘If it didn’t, I’d have ripped it up and started again.’ So I knew he was as picky as ourselves.”
The second-floor deck is finished in spotted-gum planks. Remnants were used to create the deck surround.
The slide itself was problematic for the building department to review. Typically, it is classified as playground equipment and has stringent standards for public safety and use that are meant to prevent kids from falling or snagging themselves.
“Putting it into a [residential] building project didn’t fit into the boxes of what a building inspector or surveyor assesses when you install a balustrade; it has this big opening,” Kohn says. “Balustrade openings are designed to be small enough so a child’s head can’t fit through the openings, so they couldn’t tick it off because it has a larger aperture.” In the end, they had to apply for special dispensation.
The second-floor deck is finished in spotted-gum planks. Remnants were used to create the deck surround.
The slide itself was problematic for the building department to review. Typically, it is classified as playground equipment and has stringent standards for public safety and use that are meant to prevent kids from falling or snagging themselves.
“Putting it into a [residential] building project didn’t fit into the boxes of what a building inspector or surveyor assesses when you install a balustrade; it has this big opening,” Kohn says. “Balustrade openings are designed to be small enough so a child’s head can’t fit through the openings, so they couldn’t tick it off because it has a larger aperture.” In the end, they had to apply for special dispensation.
Here, Elsbeth runs up the slide, utilizing it as a means of passage in both directions.
Dickson advises against a glossy finish for flooring next to slides: ”Sandy children’s feet, with repetition, have an abrasive effect.”
Dickson advises against a glossy finish for flooring next to slides: ”Sandy children’s feet, with repetition, have an abrasive effect.”
Kohn and Douglas sit here on the garden wall shaping the edge of the deck, by the garden entrance for slide passengers. Environmental factors were the driving force behind many of the team’s design decisions.
“The decision to have bladder tanks under the deck necessitated the raised level of the whole extension” so that there’s enough clearance under the deck framing for the tanks to fill, Kohn says. “And the solar access aspect informed the whole design. We had collected a lot of ideas from previous Sustainable House Days.”
Wall tile: Euroa Clay Products
“The decision to have bladder tanks under the deck necessitated the raised level of the whole extension” so that there’s enough clearance under the deck framing for the tanks to fill, Kohn says. “And the solar access aspect informed the whole design. We had collected a lot of ideas from previous Sustainable House Days.”
Wall tile: Euroa Clay Products
Outside in the garden, Douglas holds up a piece of the green roof tray system that inspired the idea for the eave design. The trays come with an integrated drainage system to ensure that the plants are never waterlogged. The eave fascia and soffit were designed to accommodate the trays and to blend in with the house’s playful aesthetic.
Since the completion of this stage of the renovation, the house has become a showpiece for the firm’s expertise of green building strategies integrated with efficient residential space planning and landscape design.
Modular planting system: Elmich
Since the completion of this stage of the renovation, the house has become a showpiece for the firm’s expertise of green building strategies integrated with efficient residential space planning and landscape design.
Modular planting system: Elmich
Kohn and Ford planted their green eaves with ground cover that ended up cascading. They experimented with a mix of decorative but hardy native and exotic plants that attract beneficial insects. The plants at the upper-level eave are watered with an irrigation system; Ford accesses them with a ladder for weeding and replanting. Lotus berthelotii ‘Red Flash’ from Papua New Guinea has been the best grower to date.
“The intense lime green of the eave cladding was an absolute must — once Gary had decided that, we were both convinced it had to be that color,” Kohn says.
Eave paint: Intense Lime Green, Dulux
Eave paint: Intense Lime Green, Dulux
Seen here, the green roof overhang slides down the rear facade of the building, transforming into a window box at the southernmost corner, where shading is less of a concern.
In the foreground, a wicking system provides water to raised beds via a water reservoir. The reservoir sits underneath the layer of gravel, the tube is topped up, and the raised beds are watered for a few weeks without fuss.
The couple has plans to build a trellis covered in grapevines so that the plants are shaded from the harsh sun in the summer and have access to the light in the winter.
The couple has plans to build a trellis covered in grapevines so that the plants are shaded from the harsh sun in the summer and have access to the light in the winter.
Originally, the slide was a separate project by the playground supplier, but it ultimately was wrapped into the scope of the builder. Logistics for the slide presented challenges due to access, code requirements and fabrication.
Slides are made to order; they are huge pieces of metal and typically come in two sections. This slide arrived in a massive crate nearly 20 feet square. The team did not think it could get the slide down the side of the house, so a crane positioned the slide while the team bolted it together. The deck was installed around it.
The slide is the most expensive feature of the new design, costing about $23,000, including installation.
Slides are made to order; they are huge pieces of metal and typically come in two sections. This slide arrived in a massive crate nearly 20 feet square. The team did not think it could get the slide down the side of the house, so a crane positioned the slide while the team bolted it together. The deck was installed around it.
The slide is the most expensive feature of the new design, costing about $23,000, including installation.
Photo by Greg Dickson
“The slide is the most iconic and perhaps interesting design feature of Gary and Cat’s house, but from a construction perspective, it presented the problem of being both large and heavy,” Dickson says. “The normal method of installation and movement is by forklift. As we had no way of getting a forklift onto the [narrow] site, the only way to install the slide was by using a 77-ton crane, lifting the assemblies over the house and sitting them onto the prearranged support structures.”
“The slide is the most iconic and perhaps interesting design feature of Gary and Cat’s house, but from a construction perspective, it presented the problem of being both large and heavy,” Dickson says. “The normal method of installation and movement is by forklift. As we had no way of getting a forklift onto the [narrow] site, the only way to install the slide was by using a 77-ton crane, lifting the assemblies over the house and sitting them onto the prearranged support structures.”
Ford’s favorite features of the home are the slide and the green eaves. Kohn enjoys the comfort of a temperature-controlled sustainable house, the green eaves and their bedroom ceiling fan.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
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My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Cathryn Kohn, Gary Ford and their daughter, Elsbeth
Location: Preston, Victoria, Australia
Size: 1,722 square feet (160 square meters); four bedrooms, two bathrooms
The couple focused their efforts on extending into the garden of the Edwardian double brick cottage and on opening up the house to the backyard. In this way, they added space, invited in the light, and expressed the way they live and play both inside and outside the home.
Ford, who specializes in playground design, envisioned the slide as a secondary means of passage from the upper level to the ground floor, primarily for use by their daughter, Elsbeth, though it is sized for adults too. During budget analysis and design meetings, his commitment to the slide never wavered.
The project, which added 947 square feet to the tune of about $385,000, allows the house to remain livable while the couple tackle part two of their home improvement project: renovating the original rooms of the house.
Spotted-gum siding on upper floor: Woodform