Leaky 17-level 129-unit Cintra apartment/hotel block fixed

The block at 13 Whitaker Place in Grafton fronts onto the Grafton Gully motorways in the valley beneath Symonds St.

The builder wrapped the entire tower while repairs were being carried out. Photo / Brosnan

For many months, the block was wrapped in white protective covering to enable work close to other towers to be completed.

In 2021, a High Court ruling granted Body Corporate 182563 consent for a scheme to enable the works to take place.

Inside the facade wrap when Brosnan was fixing the Cintra. Photo / Brosnan

Cintra suffered many defects, summarised in an affidavit of Mark Callander, a senior partner of Resolution Architecture, which was engaged by the body corporate to review and report on the defects.

Repairs at Cintra apartments have now been completed. Photo / Brosnan

Callander’s list included:

Lightweight steel framing on exterior walls, exterior inter-tenancy walls and decorative fin structures were severely corroded in places;Fibre cement cladding directly affixed to the lightweight steel was moisture-affected to such a degree that its structural integrity was compromised in many areas;The lightweight steel framing of the solid balustrades was corroded in places, and the fibre cement cladding directly affixed to it was moisture-affected such that its structural integrity was compromised in many areas;The lightweight steel framing of the exterior face on the northern façade was corroded in places, although the extent and severity of the corrosion was less than that exhibited by the intertenancy walls and solid balustrades;There was evidence of water ingress past the junction between the aluminium joinery and the inter-tenancy wing walls;There was evidence of leaks in a limited number of places with no apparent significant effect on adjacent structural elements.

“In summary, the building suffers from defects spanning both common property, unit property, and unit boundaries,” Justice Geoffrey Venning’s decision said.

“Extensive repairs are required to significant parts of the building, comprising in part common property and in part private property.”

Extensive work was needed to remove the cladding.

Fixed: Cintra after all the work. Photo / Brosnan

Balcony handrails, aluminium joinery and fibre cement cladding needed to be removed.

The existing main roof, metal roofing and internal gutter membranes needed to be replaced.

The plant room needed to be reclad on three sides.

Passive fire and stopping work was needed, including extending sprinklers to balcony enclosure areas.

Bryant-Simpson refused to say what the project cost.

“As this was a client‑led project, we’re not able to comment on further detail.”

Respondents in the court judgment included ASB Bank, ANZ, Bank of New Zealand and Westpac New Zealand.

They had all loaned money on apartments at Cintra, and hence were parties to the action.

The apartments were developed in 1997.

Hilton Auckland fixed

Brosnan specialises in fixing huge leaky buildings.

Hilton Auckland on Princes Wharf under cover during repairs last year. Photo / Brosnan

Last year, the Herald reported how part of the exterior of the waterfront five-star Hilton Auckland had been reclad, and developer David Henderson’s former apartment had been converted into guest rooms.

The building contractor described the work as challenging because guests continued to stay while the job was carried out.

Brosnan said all parts of the 165-room hotel in Shed 21 had to keep operating while the recladding was undertaken, so a special system was used.

Spencer on Byron fixed

The Spencer on Byron building. Photo / Janna Dixon

Brosnan also fixed Takapuna’s Spencer on Byron apartment/hotel building, one of that area’s tallest.

In 2020, the Herald reported how owners of units there spent $37 million.

Brosnan used a doughnut-style system to work its way up and down the building on a type of jump platform to carry out those repairs.

Oaks Queenstown Shores Resort fixed

Brosnan was recognised for its repairs to the Oaks Queenstown Shores Resort. Photo / Brosnan

Brosnan was recognised for its work on a luxury Queenstown resort that needed $160m worth of leaky building repairs.

The Australasian Concrete Repair and Remedial Building Association made three awards to Brosnan for its works on the Oaks complex: a multi-residential building category award, a mega project award in the $10m+ category and the overall excellence award.

Oaks Queenstown Shores Resort on Frankton Rd, Queenstown. Photo / Brosnan

The Oaks Queenstown Shores Resort is costing $993,000 per unit to fix the 161 apartments, according to the building boss in charge.

The scope of the work at the four-block 12-level complex is extensive.

The Oaks Queenstown Shores Resort under repair. Photo / Brosnan

It involves pulling all the buildings back to their concrete structures, replacing roofs, walls, balcony membranes, windows, doors, kitchens and interior linings.

Owners began repairs in 2019, reaching a confidential settlement with the Queenstown Lakes District Council in 2022.

Hobson Gardens fixed

The upper storeys of Hobson Gardens when it was enclosed in a protective cover. Photo / Natalie Slade

Brosnan also fixed the once-leaky Hobson Gardens apartments on Hobson St in the Auckland CBD.

Extensive repairs were made to that block near Spaghetti Junction, initially by Mainzeal Property & Construction, which failed partway through the work, then by Brosnan.

Huka Lodge, where Brosnan worked. Photo / George Apostolidis

Other remediation and redevelopment projects Brosnan lists include work on the luxury Huka Lodge, Heathcote Valley School in Christchurch, Parkwood Apartments in Grafton, Wainuiomata Primary School near Wellington, Tawa’s Redwood School, Canterbury University’s psychology building, Grey Lynn’s M-One apartments, Invercargill’s Aurora College, a Unitec block in Auckland for Te Pūkenga, Wellington College, Te Ara Whanui in Wellington, and the Pacifica Apartments in Mount Maunganui.

Anne Gibson has been the Herald’s property editor for 26 years, written books and covered property extensively here and overseas.

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