About Us

Settling on Steel

Having grown up in Mt Newman and lived through five years of cyclonic weather in the late 1970s, Dean witnessed first-hand the devastation caused by these types of winds. Designing and engineering homes in Port Hedland and Carnarvon required addressing N6 cyclonic conditions for these regions, lead to Dean specialising in light the steel construction method.

Exploring international manufacturing

In 2005 Dean started working with manufacturers in China to develop double–glazed windows to Australian Standards.  These companies are now full members of the Australian Window Manufacturers Association and two of the largest Chinese double–glazed windows to the Australian market.

During developing the windows, Dean discovered a larger market for housing solutions other than the traditional construction methods used in Western Australia. While other companies were looking to China to supply modular steel frame or kit housing solutions, these buildings addressed only some of the specific building outcomes that clients were wanting. Custom light steel frame construction provided the greatest flexibility to achieve all of the specific building outcomes required to make a project successful.

It took four years before Dean importing the first building, primarily allowing time to establish effective communication channels with suppliers before confidently moving forward.

To this day, relationship and communication are key to any project's overall result and success.

Providing the right solution for the people

In 2011, on request by a private building construction company, Dean was in Deli, East Timor, with a Chinese steel frame manufacturer representative. After watching one vessel being off-loaded over three days and venturing off the city's main road, it became pronounced that the country's infrastructure could not cope with the logistics associated with 'any' modular solution. 

Furthermore, locals shared the knowledge that there was 80% unemployment among the young people and that an entire generation of parents had been killed during recent wars. This was pivotal in formulating our mission based on the principle that employment comes first, and the construction method works off the back of that.

Dean received support from the Australian Government to establish an appropriate housing solution in the country that could transform a generation of young people for that country's good. 

Africa Community Development

In 2012 Bathurst International was engaged to design and supply a building solution in Sierra Leone for a client through our Chinese manufacturer. This project was a privately owned resort being built on Tokeh Beach in Sierra Leone. 

The client was originally planning to purchase a modular housing solution; however, after asking some undeniable questions regarding the site, such as access to machines and transport, the client quickly realized that what looked like a good building solution was a poor project solution. The modular solution required a heavy reliance on machines that did not exist in the country, a high level of rust-proofing that was not available with the type of materials and construction. 

Bathurst International's expertise helped identify the project's strengths and weaknesses, recommended an appropriate building alternative and developed a building program that acknowledged on-site limitations and empowered local men through providing employment and skills training.  

100 days later, 55 villas, each 75sq/m, were built to lock-up stage with a novice workforce. Furthermore, over the next 18 months, construction of a 1600sq/m two-storey restaurant, kitchen and a 600sq/m reception building were all built by this now trained workforce. 

Empowered Living

What was the key to the success of this project? Empowerment - skilling of the local men. The impact of our building solution was not purely measured by its building time frame or cost; its true value was what it did for the local economy, and how it impacted the lives of the local community positively. 

A value cannot be placed on the impact that new skills and steady work can do for a community of people. Steel Home Frames trades with this tag line, Empowered Living.

Presently, Steel Frame Homes are in early discussions with a development group in Mombasa, and Nairobi, Kenya to provide a social housing solution that will employ as many local people as possible. 

In 2020, Bathurst International expanded its community focus to include Bushfire recovery and post COVID building in Australia and abroad, rebranding as Steel Frame Homes.