Introducing Duane Cameron

The building industry is going through significant changes in New Zealand.  And it’s not before time according to Duane Cameron – founder of Frank House.

Duane has dreams of reshaping the local construction sector with the launch of Frank House in his home town of Waikanae (just north of Wellington). He saw a need to speed the build process up due to various challenges faced by builders in our country and after a few years of investigation he decided to take the plunge and make it happen through a new business venture.

Frank House is a prefabricated timber panel (or timber cassette) construction company and their clients are pretty much anyone who wants to build better, smarter, faster and more environmentally consciously.

At Frank House they essentially build the walls, floors and rooves of houses up to the stage where they are ready for windows and exterior cladding and these cassettes are then craned in and fitted together on the house slab of your building site.

It significantly speeds up the time it takes to construct a home or building – literally shaving months off the build time.

Duane Cameron and his team hope to shake up the construction game. While this is a relatively new concept for NZ it has been happening overseas for years and is just the smarter way to build.

A Passion for “building better”:

Duane has always had a passion for sustainability and a deep understanding of the problems with traditional construction practices. He recognized the need for a more efficient and eco-friendly approach in New Zealand that could address the challenges faced by the industry – time, weather, labour shortages and increasing site overheads. Inspired by the growing demand for sustainable housing solutions, Duane founded Frank House in 2021 with the vision of transforming the way homes are constructed.

Prefabricated Timber Panels: A Game-Changing Solution:

Frank House specializes in the production of prefabricated wall, roof and wall open timber ‘cassettes’, which will streamline the construction process. An average sized home can be structurally up in 2-3 days.

These cassettes are manufactured in a controlled factory environment, allowing for precision engineering and consistent quality. By utilizing timber, a renewable and carbon-neutral resource, Frank House ensures that their construction materials are environmentally friendly.

The Benefits of Frank House Cassettes:

1. Efficiency: The use of cassettes accelerates the construction timeline significantly. The cassettes are manufactured off-site in the Waikanae factory, reducing construction time on-site and minimizing potential project disruptions.
2. Sustainability: Frank House’s timber panels promote sustainable construction practices. Timber is a renewable resource that sequesters carbon dioxide, contributing to reduced carbon emissions. Additionally, the controlled factory environment minimizes material waste and optimizes energy consumption.
3. Cost-Effectiveness: Cassettes enable cost advantages over traditional construction methods. The reduction in on-site labour and construction time, scaffold and skip bin costs and weather delays (potentially affecting completion dates and progress payments) translates into savings for builders and their clients.
4. Versatility: Frank House cassettes are able to cater to various architectural styles and building types and we can work with designers and architects from the start of a project.
5. Quality Assurance: With their focus on precision engineering, Frank House ensures exceptional quality control throughout the manufacturing process

A Positive Future for Construction:

Through his visionary approach, Duane Cameron has not only created a successful company but also contributed to a more positive future for the construction industry. Frank House’s cassettes have proven to be an innovative alternative to traditional construction methods. By embracing sustainable practices, reducing waste, and utilizing renewable resources, Frank House is leading the way toward a greener construction sector.

Contact Duane for more information on 021 447 568 or upload your plans through our website.

He would love to chat & see your project and if Frank could be a good fit for you.