Architect builds fire-resistant tiny home after bushfire escape
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Adriano Pupilli, an architect from the New South Wales south coast of Australia, designed and built Casa Manyana, a tiny home able to withstand severe bushfire conditions, after his family narrowly escaped the 2019 Currowan State Forest bushfire.
Pupilli and his wife, Fiona Logge, evacuated their holiday home in Manyana when the fire threatened their property. Though their house survived, the experience left them deeply shaken and motivated Pupilli to create a resilient housing solution.
Casa Manyana is a flat-packed, modular home built to BAL 40 standards, meaning it can resist high levels of ember attack and flames. Pupilli intended the design to be affordable, costing between $75,000 and $120,000, and quickly assembled, potentially in as little as two weeks. New South Wales planning laws allow the home to be built as temporary emergency accommodation without a development application for up to two years, enabling rapid rebuilding after disasters.
The Rural Fire Service (RFS) acknowledged the value of fire-resistant building materials but cautioned residents not to rely on home design alone for safety during catastrophic fire conditions. They emphasized the importance of early evacuation and preparedness, especially with a heightened risk of bushfires across the country due to the El Niño weather pattern. Logge said her family plans to evacuate early if a fire threatens, finding strength in the support shown by their community during the previous disaster.
