Houzz Tours
Sustainable Homes
My Houzz: A Playground Designer Slips in a Slide at Home
Vibrant colours and an external slide, combined with green building strategies, create a family-friendly fun 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 extension. They engaged their in-house senior architect, Kate Douglas, to fine-tune ideas and turn them into reality.
An extension was added onto the back of the original house, as well as an upstairs addition to house a new master suite, both with a number of sustainable features including solar panels and water tanks. But, most exciting of all, a playground slide was installed on the exterior of the home, adding a sense of fun to this eco-friendly home. The result is a bright and feature-filled home with an emphasis on outdoor spaces and an efficient, eco-friendly plan.
An extension was added onto the back of the original house, as well as an upstairs addition to house a new master suite, both with a number of sustainable features including solar panels and water tanks. But, most exciting of all, a playground slide was installed on the exterior of the home, adding a sense of fun to this eco-friendly home. The result is a bright and feature-filled home with an emphasis on outdoor spaces and an efficient, eco-friendly plan.
The original floor plan of the 1927 brick cottage shows the small rear kitchen and dining room, which were removed for the extension. By converting the original living room into another bedroom and adding a master suite in the upstairs addition, the couple converted the house into a four bedroom, two bathroom home.
With the renovation, Kohn, Ford, and Douglas maximised access to northern light, outdoor space, and solar gain for the extension, 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 maximised access to northern light, outdoor space, and solar gain for the extension, 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 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/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,” says Kohn.
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/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,” says Kohn.
The extension is heated with a hydronic system and wall radiators. A thermal chimney via the stairwell, an upstairs fan, operable windows, and zone partitions 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, provide 1.5kW of power supplementing their electrical needs until an upgrade is made. In addition, all windows and doors are all double glazed and timber framed.
An integrated array of photovoltaic panels, installed in 2009, provide 1.5kW of power supplementing their electrical needs until an upgrade is made. In addition, all windows and doors are all double glazed and timber framed.
Exposed brick seen here was recycled from the demolition of the home’s original kitchen. The builders cleaned the bricks on site for reuse in the new extension, scrubbing them as filler work while waiting for deliveries.
Handmade clay wall tiles: Bespoke Tile & Stone
Handmade clay wall tiles: Bespoke Tile & Stone
Colour selections for the interior spaces were made by both Ford and Douglas. “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 benchtop above the kitchen island, as she finds it doesn’t suit the rest of the natural finishes in the space. If she could do it again she would go with recycled timber.
The light fixtures, made from blackwood timber, 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 benchtop above the kitchen island, as she finds it doesn’t suit the rest of the natural finishes in the space. If she could do it again she would go with recycled timber.
The light fixtures, made from blackwood timber, 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 benchtops are cast concrete, which were built offsite twice. The first benchtop 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 5-star WELS rated dishwasher, and water efficient taps.
Energy efficiency follows suit in the kitchen, with an induction cooktop, a 5-star WELS rated dishwasher, and water efficient taps.
Both the floors and the decking are made from spotted-gum planks. Ford had specified recycled, if possible, but discovered it is a lot easier to specify recycled than to actually find the exact quantities needed. Instead, the couple settled with sustainably harvested spotted gum throughout. The sealant is a water-based finish that meets the low-VOC requirements for all paints, stains, and surface treatments used in the house.
Douglas positioned the master bedroom windows 1.7 metres above the floor level to reduce views into neighbouring 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-timber bed includes under-bed storage drawers. Kohn has a dust allergy and opted for a naturally sourced biopolymer carpet made
from corn sugar that feels soft, instead of wool.
Bamboo Haiku fan: Big Ass Fans; Eco Plus carpet: Godfrey Hirst
A recycled-timber bed includes under-bed storage drawers. Kohn has a dust allergy and opted for a naturally sourced biopolymer carpet made
from corn sugar that feels soft, instead of wool.
Bamboo Haiku fan: Big Ass Fans; Eco Plus carpet: Godfrey Hirst
The linear under-sink cabinet in the master bedroom’s ensuite pulls out as a drawer for easier access to bathroom supplies and a hide-away 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 powerpoint and light switch locations with the architect too – that stuff has to work for you.”
Encaustic hexagonal cement tiles: Bespoke Tiles
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 powerpoint and light switch locations with the architect too – that stuff has to work for you.”
Encaustic hexagonal cement tiles: Bespoke Tiles
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. Off-cuts 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, put in place to prevent kids from snagging themselves on surfaces or falling.
“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,” says Kohn. “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 dispensation.
The second-floor deck is finished in spotted-gum planks. Off-cuts 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, put in place to prevent kids from snagging themselves on surfaces or falling.
“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,” says Kohn. “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 dispensation.
Here, Elsbeth runs up the slide, utilising it as a means of passage in both directions.
Dickson advises against a gloss finish for floor surfaces adjacent to slides, ”Don’t use a gloss finish for your flooring. Sandy children’s feet, with repetition, have an abrasive effect.”
Dickson advises against a gloss finish for floor surfaces adjacent to slides, ”Don’t use a gloss finish for your flooring. 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, and 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 there’s enough clearance under the deck framing for the tanks to fill up),” says Kohn. “And the solar access aspect informed the whole design. We had collected a lot of ideas from previous Sustainable House Days.”
Tile brick wall in multiple green shades: Euroa Clay Products
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 there’s enough clearance under the deck framing for the tanks to fill up),” says Kohn. “And the solar access aspect informed the whole design. We had collected a lot of ideas from previous Sustainable House Days.”
Tile brick wall in multiple green shades: Euroa Clay Products
Outside in the garden, Douglas holds up a piece of the green roof tray system that inspired the idea for the green eave design. The tray system comes with an integrated drainage system, to ensure 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 show piece for the firm’s expertise of green building strategies integrated with efficient residential space planning and landscape design.
Modular extensive planting system: Elmish
Since the completion of this stage of the renovation, the house has become a show piece for the firm’s expertise of green building strategies integrated with efficient residential space planning and landscape design.
Modular extensive planting system: Elmish
Kohn and Ford planted their green eaves with ground-cover plants that ended up growing down. They experimented with a mix of decorative but hardy insect-attracting native and exotic plants. The plants at the upper-level eave are watered with an irrigation system; Ford accesses them with a ladder for weeding and replanting. Lotus ‘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 colour,” says Kohn.
Eave painted in ‘Intense Lime Green’: Dulux
Eave painted in ‘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 gravel sand layer, 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 a deciduous grape vine so the plants are shaded from the harsh sun in summer, and have access to the light in the winter.
The couple has plans to build a trellis covered in a deciduous grape vine so the plants are shaded from the harsh sun in summer, and have access to the light in the winter.
Originally, the slide was a separate project by the playground supplier. After working with building and planning requirements, however, its scope was wrapped into the complete flow of works and schedule of the builder. Logistics for the slide presented some 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. Their slide arrived in a massive crate 6 x 6 metres. The team did not think they could get it down the side of the house, so a crane positioned it while it was bolted it together. The deck was installed around it.
The slide is the most expensive feature of the new design, with a $30,000 cost, including installation.
Slides are made to order; they are huge pieces of metal and typically come in two sections. Their slide arrived in a massive crate 6 x 6 metres. The team did not think they could get it down the side of the house, so a crane positioned it while it was bolted it together. The deck was installed around it.
The slide is the most expensive feature of the new design, with a $30,000 cost, 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,” says builder Greg Dickson. “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 70 tonne 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,” says builder Greg Dickson. “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 70 tonne crane, lifting the assemblies over the house and sitting them onto the prearranged support structures.”
Ford’s favourite 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.
Who lives here: Cathryn Kohn, Gary Ford, and their daughter, Elsbeth
Location: Preston, Victoria
Budget: $500,000
Size: Extension: 88 square metres. Whole house: 160 square metres, 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Builder: Greg Dickson
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 specialises 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 feature never wavered, and his dedication to his design has surely paid off.
The completed extension allows the house to remain liveable while the couple tackles part two of their home improvement project – renovating the original rooms of the house.
Spotted gum cladding on upper floor: Woodform