Forest Lookout transforms a steep, forbidding landscape into a center for running & climbing play. Enter through the 6’ x 6’ Clubhouse on stilts which leads to a 2' x 9' straight bridge over two swings and a climbing tower. Ready for some excitement? Scamper across the 2’ x 12’ swinging bridge that hangs over a gully to reach a 7' x 7’ octagon tree deck on the other side. We’ve further harnessed the power of this sloped yard with an embankment slide & double water cannon. Look out below!

The entrance to Castle Court is a dramatic Gatehouse with faux drawbridge leading up to a lockable portcullis gate set between twin towers with matching "Fleur de Lis" coat of arms. A 10’ long Swinging Bridge with hand-woven rope net railings connects the Gatehouse to the upper level of an imposing, medieval 18' high Dodecagon Tower with secret staircase! The tree-filled courtyard between the Gatehouse and the Dodecagon Tower is enclosed with 52' of 5' high Bailey fencing with secret entrance. This authentic fortress stronghold is well hidden deep inside a grove of trees.

Pasadena Playhouse was designed to elegantly fill in the previously unused space on top of the upper retaining wall. A series of platforms and steps lead to the 1-story playhouse with gable roof & side deck with rung ladder. Along the way to the playhouse, take a detour down the 1st of 2 slides or climb down the rope net ladder. The mid-level retaining area is filled with bark chip and secured with rope net railing that curves to follow the edge of the lower retaining wall. Chutes & ladders!

Check out our Time Lapse video showing the 5-day installation of Pasadena Playhouse!

HERE NOW - our Dreams Happen, 100% donated, custom redwood playhouse, at the Nordstrom Plaza in the Stanford Shopping Center. From May 2nd to June 5th, our playhouse along with 13 other playhouse submissions by renowned Architect/Builder teams, will be showcased at the mall. 

Every 2 years, since 1999, we have donated a playhouse to help raise funds for Rebuilding Together Peninsula.  This year, Barbara & the Siegelson Family have donated "The Play's the Thing" - a celebration of all types of play: imaginative, physical, theatrical and musical.

This year, renown architect, Frank Gehry, (new Facebook campus, Walt Disney Concert Hall and Guggenheim Museum, Bilboa Spain) is designing a playhouse (see article: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/business/20150324/gehry-playhouse-to-be-auctioned-as-part-of-dreams-happen).

Come take a look, then join us on Saturday, June 6th for the auction! To purchase an event reservation for the auction, click here.

In the middle of a little wilderness, tucked away on a steep hillside, the Crooked Gap Clubhouse is a great place for rambunctious kids to spend time outside! Just getting to the entrance ramp requires sliding down a hill while holding on to the Giant Rope wrapped around the tree that stands guard at the top. Once on deck, there is access to the hill below via the challenging Rock Climbing Wall and/or the Coil Climber. Click on Slideshow (above) to take a peek at more images.

TreeTop Bungalow sits high on a mountainside, offering magnificent views of the surrounding California landscape. This custom-designed playstructure was built as a series of terraces. The level changes accommodate the landscape design, which makes use of multi-tiered retaining walls to carve flat play space out of the mountainside.

To see the HGTV video of this Colorful Play Structure, click here: http://bit.ly/1Zm19R2

The Berkeley Double Slider has a Clubhouse on a Big Deck and 2 excellent slides down the hill - a tube slide through the berry patch and a straight slide beneath the pine trees.

In this compact, custom design, Barbara carved out fantastic play space by nestling Belle Bungalow into the hillside, on top of the existing retaining wall.  The deck juts out just enough to provide space for monkey bars below, and access for a rock climbing wall and a rope net ladder.  The slide is the only part of the play structure that invades the lawn area. 

Pasadena Playhouse flows along the side of the yard and then angles to the back, all on a slight incline so that each section "steps up" the slope.  The large Double Playhouse anchors the front with the Hexagon Treefort in the middle and the Lookout Tower with sandbox below anchors the end. In between, two very long, fun bridge-over-swings. This large play structure is strategically placed to leave plenty of yard space.

Hillside Hamlet played a starring role in House Beautiful TV's episode entitled "Kids Live Here Too." One of Barbara's most ambitious projects, the Hillside Hamlet’s four Towers and four connecting Bridges nestle into an ivy-covered hill. The unusual black, white, and gray color scheme of this luxury play structure gives it serenity and complements the classic palette of the client's home and guest house.

Barbara designed Connecticut Castle not only to please two boys but also to complement the beauty of the client's 1910 English-style stone castle/country home. Tucked in a circle of trees, this luxury play fort is built for the whole family to play on, kids and adults alike.

The Napa Valley Chalets were designed to provide "different but equal" Playhouses for 2 pre-teen siblings.  Each luxury Playhouse has a fully finished interior, glass doors and windows, electricity, built-in furniture and, best of all, great play features like the connecting Bridge-over-Swings.

Malibu Lighthouse was built atop an existing stone guesthouse that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. This wooden play fort brings together images of lighthouse, sea waves, and driftwood. The Malibu Lighthouse is a delightful mixture of wrap-around decks, spiral ramps, porthole windows, hand-hewn boards, copper roof panels and artistically shaped railings.

A rainbow of luscious colors dominate this spectacular Castle with Octagon Tower and Arched Bridge over swings.  It is impossible to resist running up the 10' long drawbridge-style ramp!

Mill Valley Victorian glows at the edge of a Redwood grove in blues, greens and a rainbow of accent colors. The Octagon Tower is the heart of the fun, with 2 magnificent Bridges fanning out on either side. Built on the side of a hill, this dynamic play structure is designed to incorporate multi-tiered retaining walls as part of the play space. 

Incredible Castle Dragon Theater with hand carved Dragons on either side of the theater stage, guarding the entrance to the mysterious maze behind the backdrop wall.  Up above, the Castle Clubhouse stands between the Turrets, with a stately tree breaking through the deck behind, spreading its lovely branches over the entire play structure.  Too grand to be captured in a single picture.

Castle Cottage perches on stilts, a charming wooden playhouse in a dappled courtyard. Tucked into a previously unused part of the courtyard, Castle Cottage has filled the visual void of the neighboring large blank wall. A 2-Story Lookout Tower expands the play area and is reached by a Rung Ladder inside. The Main Playhouse segment has an L-shaped Loft under the Gable Roof of colorful cedar shingles.

Fort Runway starts at the bottom of a steep hill with a rustic Clubhouse on top of large 12' x 12'  deck with multiple play features and then heads up hill with a series of challenging and fun "obstacle course" straight and swinging bridges and rope net climbs. Go outside and play takes on a Raiders of the Lost Ark feeling with Fort Runway!

Portola Valley Lookout was featured on Evening Magazine of San Francisco's KPIX TV. Barbara broke through an existing deck railing near the playroom of the family's home and then built steps up to a small Platform over the pathway below (so the path would remain usable). From the Platform, a 10-foot Swinging Bridge connects to a Hexagonal Tower with a Turbo Tube Slide. A fun, new approach to integrating play structure and home.