Rammed-earth realities

Not to be confused with mud brick, rammed earth is a precisely controled mixture of gravel, clay, sand, cement and sometimes lime, compacted in a removable framework to make a stone- like wall that is waterresistant, load- bearing and long- lasting. No two rammed earth walls are ever the same. Rammed earth is particularly known for its thermal mass, storing heat and releasing it hours later to maintain an ambient temperature. Kate and Pete’s home has exposed trusses that come from the former Christchurch bus depot. There are nine sets of French doors, recycled from a demolition site in Timaru. Pete and Kate scrounged some great recyclables: old fence posts used as stair- posts and balustrades, corrugated iron as bathroom walls. The recycled bridge beams are from an old Waimate bridge. Kate is a brilliant project manager who knows when to delegate: “We had to dyke our house with 250 tonnes of stone wall. I lifted four rocks, went inside to get some water and never came back.” With the experience of their own home behind them, the couple use any holiday time building Habitat for Humanity houses in Mongolia and Vietnam, Ethiopia and Fiji. “Ten people build a house in four and a half days and it’s a really great way of seeing your charity dollars make a difference for generations. You form a relationship with the people you’re creating a home for.” Three years ago, they were in Ethiopia. “I just loved it; it was like a movie set all the time. Africa gets under your skin and you can’t get it out.”