Build-it-yourself Tiny House: IMBY Kit by Adriano Pupilli Architects

Three IMBY houses have already been erected in New South Wales, Australia, with more to follow.  All the versions have one thing in common: a simple and effective design that places the focus on plywood, the building's main material, in both design and structural terms. In the case of this project, Adriano Pupilli Architects is aiming to provide an equally inexpensive and sustainable answer to owners' individual requirements.

A modular system that enables differing room sizes provides the necessary variability. The smallest-possible tiny house consists of two modules and can be used for example as a tool shed. Four modules are sufficient for accommodating a desk; seven are large enough for a bed and ten to twelve provide a fully-equipped hut with a place to sleep, a bathroom and a kitchen. In other words, an IMBY house can be used either as an extension to an existing residential building or as a detached unit, and can also be part of a small settlement of such structures.

A basic module measures about 0.6 x 3 m and consists of plywood elements designed for interlocking together in a traditional joining method.  The primary structure is made up of portal frames with rounded corners, held together by the narrow boards that form the secondary support structure.  All these structural elements are visible inside the tiny house, lending the horizontal boards a further use as shelves. If required, several such boards can be omitted to create space for inserting a window.

The exterior cladding lies on the rounded form of the house like a skin, and can consist either of corrugated metal, which makes a functional and industrial effect, or weatherboard siding for a more natural look.  A long gap at the apex of the roof admits plenty of light into the interior.