This Waiheke Island property is the first of many sites acquired by a new company. Allpress Olive Groves is the latest venture of entrepreneur Mike Allpress who has made residence on Waiheke Island and aims to transform the local olive oil industry. In the process he has purchased several olive groves across the island, and as all of the sites have substantial houses attached to the groves, aligning a luxury accommodation business with the brand was the obvious choice.
The brief for this project was simple and straight to the point - ‘we need to transform this property into an opulent garden that will cater to large groups of guests and offer a sense of immersion with the surrounding agricultural setting’.
As the interior space of the existing home offered limited capacity for entertaining, an extensive pavilion was designed to become the heart of this home.
The focal point at the west end of this structure is a wood fire barbecue with wood storage stacked with cured olive branches pruned from the surrounding groves, and for convenience and increased capacity a built in gas barbeque has been included. As the distance to the internal kitchen is reasonable, a generous bar fridge, sink and a space for storage cupboards containing glassware and crockery have been added. A formed concrete island bridges the space between the cooking and dining area, serving as a preparation space, bar and leaner and convenient serving space to the dining table.
The central feature of this space is a large banquet table that will seat 18+ guests. Adjacent shutters open to a calming view through a landscaped garden and a grassy knoll beyond. When guests finish feasting they'll be guided to a large outdoor fireplace and a heated concrete bench with purpose built cushions.
The evenings will be topped off with a soak in a large cedar hot tub, positioned perfectly to allow communication with guests sitting fireside.
The structure will be fabricated with a blackened steel framework detailed in a minimal, industrial aesthetic which aims to echo the agricultural nature of the section. An operable louvered roof system has been specified to allow control of the elements and full immersion with the surrounds when open.
As this structure runs parallel with the existing architecture, a sheltered courtyard space is created, this will allow a very pleasing position with a flat lawn that surrounds concrete strip paving, drawing visitors to the primary entertaining space. A restrained planting palette consisting of olive trees, potted cypress and citrus will transport inhabitants straight to the Mediterranean.