The Olive Grove, Cambridge

We started designing our very first full design and build for clients in 1994 – Peter and Eunice Martin from Cambridge. We remember it very fondly due to its significance. It was later that same year we started construction on the site and by February ’95 we’d started ramming the walls. We spent 18 days of hard but rewarding work using one of our most commonly used soils at the time, the Aotea Harbour soil sourced from the Raglan area.

Because it was our first design and build, I (Paul) worked very closely on the design with the client and they were very active on the project works for the full duration of the build.

Peter and Eunice lived in this home for about 25 years including living through a major flooding event which proved the durability of rammed earth quite literally and publicly.

This lovely home has three modest bedrooms, one bathroom plus ensuite bathroom and an internal entry double garage. All in all, the home has great indoor -outdoor flow because of the living area blending with a large verandah space on both east and south sides.

The location of this property was very interesting; it was built in a disused sand quarry that was covered in blackberry and gorse when the Martin’s first bought it. Over their residency they transformed the land into a spray-free, organic olive grove with decorative and edible gardens. Eunice ran a craft workshop on the property and Peter distilled olive oil. It was purchased by a real estate agent in 2017.