IMBY® stands for In My Back Yard. It is a building kit that encapsulates the simplicity and elegance of ancient woodworking techniques with the efficiency and sustainability of digital fabrication and renewable resources, to provide occupants with an easy to assemble and low-cost space solution that you can configure, and reconfigure in response to changing lifestyles and situations.
The IMBY® aesthetic is unique and captivating, more than a style it is the raw expression of its materials and how they go together. The structural frame of the IMBY® is modular, extendable as spatial needs dictate, and made up of interlocking mortice and tenon joints. These joints form an integral part of the intuitive assembly process, a major objective of the IMBY® Kit; to empower people to build their own flexible, easy to assemble and beautiful architecture in their back yards; on a farm, in the bush or in the city.
The IMBY® Kit integrates fundamental principles of architectural design, such as maximising natural light, cross-ventilation, vistas and sight-lines, as well as carefully balancing scale, form, volume, and height, into a building kit that responds to Exempt Development controls to streamline the approvals process. Its prefabricated nature also lends itself to being dissected into components that are efficient, sustainable and affordable to fabricate in a factory environment.
Fabricating building parts offsite in a factory environment rather than onsite achieves a higher level of control over the efficiency and accuracy of the building process. Machine efficiency is utilised to carry out repetitive tasks, this creates material and cost savings unparalleled by in-situ construction. By “nesting” multiple parts on a 1200×2400 standard building sheet such as sustainably grown plantation pine plywood, we achieve maximum use of the material, which is good for the pocket as well as the planet.
At the heart of the IMBY® Kit is a structural module (or “bay”) made up of FSC Certified plantation pine plywood layered up to form a series of portal frames that support the roof, wall and floor claddings and linings. The bays can be added or subtracted as spatial needs dictate, or multiple IMBY’s can be placed side-by-side to extend floor area even further, or arranged around an outdoor space or courtyard to create a series of pavilions. Interlocking timber joints form an integral part of the IMBY® aesthetic as well as provide the backbone for the kit’s intuitive assembly process, enabling people without construction training to rapidly assemble the main structural elements.
We believe as architects that we have a responsibility to not only provide for client’s wish lists, but to do so in a way that does not burden the planet. Thinking bigger picture, the IMBY® Kit seeks to encourage incremental growth of our cities, towns and villages by placing development in the hands of locals. As architects we have the tools and skill set to demonstrate how smaller, incrementally and well-built spaces can make people happier, healthier and inspired by their everyday environments. IMBY Kit is one of many possibilities.
Material Used:
1. Carter Hold Harvey - Ecoply
2. Colorbond – Cladding – S-Rib XRW
3. Porta – 16mm RadiataPineOakdowel.
