Project Overview
Stage
Completed
Year complete / due
2026
Value
$
850000
Lot size
612
sqm
Harnest delivered Wa-Karroong House, a prototype home developed in partnership with the Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative and a collective of aligned design, development and construction partners, to advance culturally respectful housing outcomes.
The Outcome
We delivered a single culturally responsive prototype dwelling for the Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative, designed to support multi-generational living and flexible sleeping arrangements.
Key features include:
- Pro9 wall system, a modern method of construction enabling rapid, energy-efficient and resilient delivery
- Strong connections to outdoor space and Country, reflecting Indigenous-led design priorities
- A flexible, multi-generational floor plan shaped directly by community consultation on family dynamics
Community benefit: provides a replicable blueprint for culturally appropriate Indigenous housing that can inform future community-led housing programs.
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The Method
We applied a consultation-led delivery model, embedding Indigenous leadership and cross-industry collaboration into every stage from design through construction.
- Indigenous-led consultation: The Bulwul Njindiwan Group facilitated structured listening sessions and workshops with the Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative and community members, translating community priorities into an iterative design process.
- Collaborative in-kind delivery: As a prototype project, Wa-Karroong relied on a collective of consultants, trades and suppliers – including Plus Studio, IHi Projects and Accurate Construction Services – contributing time, expertise and materials. These in-kind contributions covered approximately 90 percent of project cost, making delivery of the demonstration home viable.
- Modern methods of construction: Adoption of the Pro9 wall system enabled rapid, energy-efficient and resilient delivery, engineered for replication across urban and regional contexts.
The Impact
This project demonstrates Harnest’s ability to deliver within a genuinely collaborative, Indigenous-led model – coordinating architecture, development and construction partners around community priorities rather than a conventional single-client brief.
Through in-kind contributions from the delivery collective, approximately 90 percent of project cost was covered, enabling delivery of a high-quality demonstration home within the constraints of a prototype funding model.
The result is a scalable blueprint for Indigenous housing that strengthens Harnest’s partnership with the Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative and its allied design and construction network, reinforcing a reusable model for future culturally responsive housing programs.
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