Minimal building penetrations, well-sealedAerodynamic roof shape
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BREAKING THE CYCLE

The Purpose of FORTIS house

FORTIS House was developed in response to community requests for help to build better. Every year, the Bushfire Building Council of Australia (BBCA) is contacted by thousands of people asking for help to make their homes more resilient to bushfire and other disasters. The number of people asking for help is rapidly increasing as disasters become more frequent, intense and widespread.

BBCA created FORTIS House in response to the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires and subsequent floods to help recovering communities re-build. The project has delivered house designs and a set of building principles for extreme weather and disaster resilience, sustainability, self-sufficiency and quality.

FORTIS House sets a new benchmark for better building to protect people, homes, communities and the environment – no matter where you live.

A WORLD FIRST

Introducing FORTIS

“FORTIS is a wonderful gift from a community that went through bushfires and floods and suffered, and their response has been total generosity. They’ve helped design something for themselves, for their community and for the country.”

– Kate Cotter, BBCA CEO

FORTIS Team

CEO/Founder

Kate Cotter | Bushfire Building Council of Australia

Disaster resilient architecture | JDA Co architects

Dr James Davidson, Libby Ba-Pe, Clive Ba-Pe, Martin Arroyo

Cyclone & storm research & engineering

Dr David Henderson | James Cook University Cyclone Testing Station

Structural Engineering

Ken Watson | NASH (National Association for Steel Framed Housing)

Building Compliance

Colin Wood | Shoalhaven City Council

Prefabrication research & engineering

Professor Tuan Ngo | University of Melbourne

Prefabrication industry engagement

Damien Crough | PrefabAUS

Flood resilience

Andrew Dyer | Principal Flood Analyst, Hydrologist, IAG Natural Perils

Civil & structural engineering

Dr Ian Bennetts | Bushfire Building Council of Australia

Bushfire Resilience Architect

Dr Ian Weir | Bushfire Building Council of Australia & QUT

Fire safety engineering & building regulation

Stephen Kip | Bushfire Building Council of Australia

Climate & disaster risk management

Kylie Steel | Bushfire Building Council of Australia

Building consultant

Mark Steel | Registered builder & plumber, Bushfire Building Council of Australia

Emergency management consultant

Craig Lapsley | Bushfire Building Council of Australia

Community engagement

Loretta Durango | Bushfire Building Council of Australia

Community workshops facilitation

Chad Foulkes | Liminal by Design

build your own

Download your free FORTIS resources:

Household Handbook

Technical Handbook

Architectural drawings