Top builders have grand designs on cubby houses

KIDS can test drive state-of-the-art cubby houses at the Melbourne garden show this week.

David Pontifex, pictured with Madison & Jack, has designed a cubby house for the Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show.

WHAT makes a cubby house great? The question is exercising the minds of some of our top home builders and designers, who have taken time out from their day jobs to channel their inner child for some serious fundraising.

“It’s part tree house, part climbing frame and part online Minecraft game”, says David Waldren, national design manager, Grocon Group, whose cubby house is dubbed “The Cube-y House”.

“Some of our best design developments came when we took the design out of the office and home to our kids for their feedback,” Waldren says.

A successful cubby “combines elements from several of our home projects, but in a kid-friendly version” says Knight Building Group designer Craig Mullins. “It’s playful yet practical, bright and colourful, and contains some elements of surprise like a hidden front door.”

The Bright Knight cubby uses artificial grass on the floor, while the staircase up to look over the low-maintenance rooftop garden doubles as a funky bookcase.

Mullins believes cubby houses are growing in popularity. “They can be a great feature to complement your house. They give kids a space of their own to play in, which can help encourage them to get outside and be more active.”

Like Grocon and Knight Building Group, Atkinson Pontifex and others are taking part in the 2015 Cubby House Challenge, part of this week’s Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.

“Liar Liar Pants On Fire” is the name of Atkinson Pontifex’s colourful cubby; a phrase co-owner David Pontifex used as a child. “Our philosophical idea behind the design is that life is not always what it seems. A house might seem fancy and elegant but we have a big homeless problem.

“Our cubby is a cute, shingle-clad classic from one perspective but walk around the side and you realise it’s nothing like that. From here you can see right through the clear walls. When you’re inside you’re totally connected to what is around you.”

The planted green roof helps it sit comfortably in the garden, while most of the materials, such as the western red cedar shingles, are recycled items from the company’s building sites.

Children can test drive seven bespoke cubby houses at MIFGS, which opens on Wednesday. The Cube-y House will be raffled, the others will go under the hammer at a twilight auction.

It’s a fundraiser for charity Kids Under Cover, whose unique ­relocatable studio accommodation, scholarship and mentor ­programs help keep families ­together.

Peter Maddison, of Grand Designs Australia fame, will host the auction. “Cubby houses are a touchstone of your own childhood,” he says.

“They give children the ­opportunity to take charge of their own space outside the home.”

Tips for cubby building

Check if local council approval is required and for any guidelines regarding size restrictions or positioning.

Be aware of potential hazards to children, such as sharp corners, spaces that can trap little fingers, and risks of falling from the structure.

Use materials suitable for external use and avoid products with chemicals.

Get the kids involved in the design and let them help with the simple parts of the construction, such as painting and decorating.

Some good play space guides on are online, such as playsafekids.com.au.

If DIY is not your specialty, there are plenty of pre-made cubby house kits available.

The cubby house twilight auction is on March 27, part of the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. melbflowershow.com.au; cubbyhousechallenge.org.au