Meet Shane Brealey, the founder and managing director of NZ Strong which has just finished the $15.8 million upgrade of The Tepid Baths in Auckland.
He takes Anne Gibson on a tour of the complex, from reception into secret areas beneath the pools in a new basement, to show the inner workings of this revived historic civic amenity.
He also tells how his firm overcame issues - and demolished rebuilt everything except the distinctive old heritage facade.
Mr Brealey says the structure was essentially a new building, up to current Building Code standards. The biggest challenge was working on such a confined and restricted site.
Water purification equipment, gas-fired stainless-steel water-heating tanks, sewage pipes and other services can now be easily accessed in a new basement level, he shows.
