What began as a shared curiosity became a calling we couldn’t ignore.
In 2023, Lee and Taku, close friends and fathers, found themselves drawn to a shared vision: a space for ritual, renewal, and community. What started as casual conversations around sauna, cold therapy, and mineral bathing soon became something more defined. “It felt like it was happening to us,” Lee would later say. “Not something we chose, but something choosing us.”
The first space we considered—a polished, already-renovated site in Blackheath—seemed like the obvious choice. But our proposal to transform it into a public bathhouse was ultimately declined. What followed felt serendipitous.
Just a few doors down, we stepped into a heritage building in disrepair. Weathered walls, worn bones—but something about it felt alive. This place wasn’t ready to be forgotten. It needed vision. It needed care.
Then, another quiet alignment. Jem’s brother-in-law, renowned designer and architect Siki Im, reached out—he had long dreamt of designing a bathhouse and offered to join the project. The creative direction became clear.
We applied to lease the building. What followed was a year of back-and-forth negotiations, council approvals, redesigns, and more than a few moments of doubt. At times, the dream felt too ambitious. But exactly one year after that first submission, everything aligned. Lease signed. Council approved. Build commenced.
The last seven months have been transformative. A full-scale renovation of the space—from demolition to design—while navigating the constant motion of life with seven children between us. The work has been intense, layered, and at times deeply challenging. But it has also been a labour of purpose.
This building has demanded patience and presence. Its quirks and history forced us to adapt, rethink, and honour its original form. We didn’t just build a bathhouse—we listened to the space, shaped it with intention, and allowed it to become what it wanted to be.
Throughout, our children have remained our compass. They remind us of why we’re doing this: to create space for healing, for connection, for something that outlasts us. A place where the community can pause, return to themselves, and feel held.
What began as a spark between friends is now something real, tangible, and deeply lived in. AQUA/IGNIS is our offering—to this land, this town, and the people who will pass through its doors.
We built this from the ground up. We hope it feels like home.
