10 important bricks that Lego *should have* included in the Architectu

[henrysunset]

I wanted to let people who own and love the excellent Lego Architecture Studio set know that I've just posted a detailed list of the Top 10 bricks which *should* have been included in this set, but weren't.

Check it out if you want ideas for some additional bricks you might want to buy to make the set even better. I would also like to hear from other fans if I forgot to include some obvious bricks that are great for building Architectural models.

This article wraps-up my Lego Architecture Studio 30-day challenge, where I built 30 different models using the bricks from the Lego Architecture studio set.

Sincerely,

---tom

[Andy D]

Excallent article. I agree with your claims and thank you for posting this.

--- Off-topic ---

I also found a link in your article to the "Evolution of LEGO Sorting". I re-read this and found it described me and my evolution at several points.

Andy D

[Junpei]

The Architecture Studio set doesn't include jumper plates..?

[henrysunset]

The Architecture Studio set doesn't include jumper plates..?

It includes 1x2 jumper plates, but not nearly enough of them! It *does not* include the 2x2 jumper plates.

[Aanchir]

I agree with some of the parts, but I can understand some of the omissions.

The 1x2 jumper plate is one of the ONLY ways to get a 1/2 brick offset in just one direction, whereas to get an offset in two directions, you can just put a 1x1 round brick between four studs. The 2x2 jumper plate is still useful — just not as irreplaceable as the 1x2 variety.

I also can see why "classic" Erling/headlight bricks were included but not the newer 1x2 with side stud. It's true that sometimes you might not want the recessed bit for functional or aesthetic reasons, but the headlight brick has another advantage — turn it around and it provides a square window that fits in a 1x1x1 space. I was using some of these for part of the bookcase in a MOC of my room recently.

Tiles are another piece that's mainly just a cosmetic thing, and they don't have the same structural usefulness as plates. The same is true of baseplates. I can't remember the last time I used a baseplate in a model other than a modular building — regular plates are generally much more versatile since you have much more control over the shape of your building surface and can even elevate it if you so choose.

These would have all been useful parts, no doubt about that. And I don't mean to suggest they wouldn't have improved the set. But I think given the choice between adding these parts and including some of the other similar parts in greater quantities, I can understand why the designers might have chosen to go with the latter.

[henrysunset]

... But I think given the choice between adding these parts and including some of the other similar parts in greater quantities, I can understand why the designers might have chosen to go with the latter.

I think you are right that the set is fine for many uses without the baseplate. In fact, it might be more effective inspiring freeform architectural exploration to *not* include a baseplate as it may artificially force people to think within the 32x32 constraints, and it is more difficult to do off-angle construction on a baseplate. Likewise, totally fair points can be made around Headlight vs.the 1x1 with stud on one side. I had not been using the erling in the SNOT manner as microscale windows, although I should try this sometime.

Realistically, for me the only dealbreaker "missing" part category are hinges. Without them, many building techniques are awkward or fragile. (I went with a "Top 10" format to make the article easier to read and to drive more traffic.)

Thanks for your feedback and a reminder to give the Errling brick another try. Sincerely,

---tom