Adriano Pupilli and his team of architects set themselves a goal of creating quality and well-considered architect-designed buildings that could be made accessible to the wider public. Over ten years in the thinking, IMBY (In My Back Yard) Kit was the solution for the project.
“We wanted to create a modular building system that is beautiful, a delight to be in and flexible. One that can be added to, subtracted from, reconfigured, clad in different ways, placed side-by-side and can also be packed away and transported somewhere else completely different,” explains Pupilli. “Plus, we wanted it to be good for the planet as well as the hip pocket.”
Pupilli and team wanted it to look good, sit modestly in a garden or small urban backyard, be multi-use, keep the water out and let the sun in. It needed to meet State Planning legislation for Exempt Development, be efficient to freight, easy to assemble and economical to build in terms of both cost and use of materials. All these factors were placed in a creative bucket, mixed around for a number of months and IMBY was the outcome.
IMBY is a beautiful, light-filled structure that celebrates its own form. Ancient woodworking techniques were a huge inspiration in its creation with the structural plywood workings of the system exposed to form part of the aesthetic of the interior.
Pupilli explained, “The tusk-tenon joint, an ancient way of making ‘knockdown’ furniture and decorative architectural connections, is used exclusively throughout to connect horizontal and vertical structural members. It is user-friendly and no nails, glues or adhesives are needed when assembling the plywood frame. Best of all it can be knocked down just as easily and flat packed for transport or storage.”
Combining ancient timber joining techniques with the computer controlled cutting of the Ecoply plywood panels, provides the best of two worlds – simplicity of expressed timber friction joints with the accuracy and strength of contemporary fabrication methods and materials.
Ecoply was the logical choice for IMBY since the locally harvested product keeps the carbon miles down and the FSC certification guarantees that the timber is sourced from sustainably managed forests.
“We love the stuff. Ecoply is strong, versatile and easy to work with. Its thickness is consistent and suitable for CNC milling, ensuring all parts are structurally sound. When we went through the process of designing each part and how they might ‘nest’ on a standard 1,200 mm × 2,400 mm sheet of plywood, we worked painstakingly to ensure we had minimal wastage of material. This was in line with our design objective to develop a carbon neutral building kit,” says Pupilli.
Pupilli adds, “I believe architects 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. We have the tools and skill set to demonstrate how smaller, well-built and considered spaces can provide happier, healthier and inspirational environments for people. Our job is to demonstrate this daily with every design challenge we face.”
The challenges faced in creating IMBY did not deter Pupilli and his team and the outcome was well worth the effort.
