General News
11 June, 2026
St Arnaud build more than a healthy house
IT’S Ramali and Michael Laing’s mission to show regional Victorians they don’t need to feel further away from sustainable housing.
IT’S Ramali and Michael Laing’s mission to show regional Victorians they don’t need to feel further away from sustainable housing.
And that healthier, better-performing homes shouldn’t be reserved exclusively for bespoke projects in larger cities.
Because they’re building a block of two-bedroom, high-quality, healthy, and energy-efficient cottages in Canterbury St, St Arnaud as we speak.
And while many have shown interest in the development, the couple want to show their work has great intentions behind it.
“One of the key drivers behind the development has been our desire to demonstrate that high-quality, energy-efficient, healthy living homes do not need to be limited to expensive one-off custom homes,” Ramali said.
“We strongly believe these standards can also be delivered within a broader development setting in regional Victoria when projects are approached holistically from both the developer and builder perspective.
“Our aim with this project has been to create homes that are not only more energy efficient, but also quieter, healthier, and more comfortable to live in year-round.”
With his background in engineering, Michael said there was a lot of research and considerations that had gone into the idea and design behind the homes incorporating Passive House design principles.
“We’ve spent years studying building science, thermal performance and high-performance housing systems from around the world,” he said.
“The project brings together a range of construction methods and materials that work as a complete system — from the externally insulated building envelope and airtightness strategy through to high-performance windows and energy recovery ventilation.
“Individually, many of these products are available in Australia today. The challenge is integrating them correctly to create a home that performs exceptionally well in terms of comfort, energy efficiency, durability and indoor air quality.”
“We have an overall focus on reducing unwanted heat loss, condensation risk, and long-term energy consumption.”
After a successful similar development in Stawell, the team was approached by Northern Grampians Shire Council to see if they would replicate it in St Arnaud.
This was in hopes of helping combat the town’s ever-growing housing issue.
“We don’t claim to fix everything,” Michael said.
“We’re just one part of the working towards a solution.”
“There has been a lot of interest from the community as the project has progressed, with many people curious about the construction methods and the types of homes we are building.
“We’ve also been fortunate to work alongside an incredible team of trades, suppliers and consultants who have embraced the vision for the project.
“Ultimately, our goal is to demonstrate that regional communities deserve access to better-performing homes and that these building methods can become more achievable and scalable within Australia over time.”
The couple are hoping to have the houses finished before the end of the year and plan to have an open house day for everyone to visit and walk through.
If you’d like to find out more about the project or past projects, visit the Co.Develop website at: codevelop.com.au.
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