10246 Detective's Office

[Poisso3]

So, I finally started rebuilding my modular sets now that I have set up my basement hobby room. The Detective's Office in between the pet shop and the town house bookended by the Perisian Restaurant and the Palace Theater.

The DO really does need the roof addition to make it taller.

Edited August 6, 2015 by Poisso3

[Still Raindrop]

Do most people here live in towns where the buildings are all uniform height? Or is it just something you like aesthetically in your Lego street? That's one of the most common complaints I see about the DO, and I guess I just don't understand. Of course, where I live, the buildings are of varied height, and you can find a two-story building connected to a three- or four-story building easily.

[Mestari]

Do most people here live in towns where the buildings are all uniform height? Or is it just something you like aesthetically in your Lego street? That's one of the most common complaints I see about the DO, and I guess I just don't understand. Of course, where I live, the buildings are of varied height, and you can find a two-story building connected to a three- or four-story building easily.

Are those buildings priced the same on the market in real life too? ;)

[BirdOPrey5]

Do most people here live in towns where the buildings are all uniform height? Or is it just something you like aesthetically in your Lego street? That's one of the most common complaints I see about the DO, and I guess I just don't understand. Of course, where I live, the buildings are of varied height, and you can find a two-story building connected to a three- or four-story building easily.

My complaint isn't that the DO is a different height, it's that it's small. Had it been that much taller than the rest I wouldn't be complaining.

[TheLegoDr]

It seems almost everyone displays DO right next to the PS, so then you get Al's Pets in every town..I don't understand. Why? I wouldn't have two blue buildings next to each other. Maybe switch the Townhome and the Pet shop... that bothers me more than the height difference..

Yes, it does seem small. I will probably get the DO this Christmas, but I have plans to modify it for sure.

[Still Raindrop]

It seems almost everyone displays DO right next to the PS, so then you get Al's Pets in every town..I don't understand. Why? I wouldn't have two blue buildings next to each other. Maybe switch the Townhome and the Pet shop... that bothers me more than the height difference..

Yes, it does seem small. I will probably get the DO this Christmas, but I have plans to modify it for sure.

PS is the only other modular I have, but the "Al's Pets" thing bothers me, too. Currently, I have my Chinese restaurant MOC, which I'll share here when I'm moved into my new place (probably--although nobody seems to like two-story buildings, and my restaurant/tea shop is one of them!), next to Al's, so the lettering doesn't run together.

I guess I understand more about the height difference. I've just seen more mods that have made it the same height as everything else. But I suppose if you upscale your other modulars, a two-story building could be seen as too small. Works just fine for my town, though.

Edited August 6, 2015 by Mariko

[Poisso3]

It seems almost everyone displays DO right next to the PS, so then you get Al's Pets in every town..I don't understand. Why? I wouldn't have two blue buildings next to each other. Maybe switch the Townhome and the Pet shop... that bothers me more than the height difference..

Yes, it does seem small. I will probably get the DO this Christmas, but I have plans to modify it for sure.

I didn't want to but my daughter suggested that's where it would go because it would say AL's PETS.

[LegoSjaak]

I carefully tried to make a nice mix of colors in my layout and placed the DO next to the Green Grocer... I would nut be a very good idea to place it next to PS as it would say 'Al's Hair Pets' in my case...

Edited August 7, 2015 by LegoSjaak

[Poisso3]

I carefully tried to make a nice mix of colors in my layout and placed the DO next to the Green Grocer... I would nut be a very good idea to place it next to PS as it would say 'Al's Hair Pets' in my case...

Al's Hair Pets...sounds like what those hair pieces are in his window.

[LegoSjaak]

Al's Hair Pets...sounds like what those hair pieces are in his window.

Yeah...Al's Hairy Pets are on sale...!!

[NBV83]

Do most people here live in towns where the buildings are all uniform height? Or is it just something you like aesthetically in your Lego street? That's one of the most common complaints I see about the DO, and I guess I just don't understand. Of course, where I live, the buildings are of varied height, and you can find a two-story building connected to a three- or four-story building easily.

Amen to that. Varying height of the buildings break the monotony just like the color variation. And again, a Parisian restaurant next to a Chinese themed cinema and a detectives office already makes the neighborhood diverse so that height might just as well.

[Withacee]

Do most people here live in towns where the buildings are all uniform height? Or is it just something you like aesthetically in your Lego street? That's one of the most common complaints I see about the DO, and I guess I just don't understand. Of course, where I live, the buildings are of varied height, and you can find a two-story building connected to a three- or four-story building easily.

I couldn't agree more, aesthetics-wise. I agree it's smaller than the rest, but, as I stated before, I like the liveliness it creates in the "skyline".

For most people the complaints are more of a a price thing. It feels like one gets less building for the same money.

Which is fair enough, but personally, I don't mind.

And for the rest, it's all about the everlasting discussion about interior versus exterior. Part counts vary only slightly, but PR and DO have less bricks in the exterior and more in the interior. And yes, interiors usually result in smaller parts, so the total weight of the parts will be less on PR and DO. All a matter of personal taste.

I just go with the flow. As long as I get my shot of new Lego sets on a regular basis, I'm fine.

And if not, I'm going to have to go and step on some kid's hamster.

Edited August 7, 2015 by Withacee

[Xyver]

I bought two of the DO and was thinking of many different ways to put them together for a bigger building. In the end I decided to keep the basic layout as per the set and just extend either side out by 8 studs. I was also able to use many of the extra bricks to build another level. I did have to use some bricks and windows from my spare parts to build the extra level, but after finishing off the roof, I probably could have used a lot of those extra parts rather than my own.

Det Off by Adrian, on Flickr

The extra width allowed me to put a dividing wall in the office, so now there is a desk for the secretary out front (the top floor is currently empty though) I also put in an extra chair into the barber shop, added an extra cupboard and put in some waiting chairs and a central island counter.

This building will not be with the other modulars in my layout, but more of a stand alone building, so any height differences are irrelevant at this stage. (it will also solve the Al's Pets issues other people are having)

[dr_sarcophagus]

I bought two of the DO and was thinking of many different ways to put them together for a bigger building. In the end I decided to keep the basic layout as per the set and just extend either side out by 8 studs.

This is the best, most architecturally sound variation I've seen. The others are good, but often have something about them which is not quite right, e.g. not quite suiting the style of the building or uneven window spacing without an obvious reason.

This is what I would do if I had two of them.

Edited August 23, 2015 by dr_sarcophagus

[KringlesBricks]

I finally got around to putting my Detective Office together this past week...did one floor each night. I tried something a little different and flipped the design to match up to the side of the Fire Brigade.

[DK_Titan]

Our version of an extended 10246.

[Dazz]

Our version of an extended 10246.

Thanks for sharing the video. Your mod looks awesome.

[gotoAndLego]

I think it would look cool, and solve the height issues mentioned, if you built an extra brown level. Extend it to the side but don't add the blue part.

[Lego Conductor]

Expanded the light blue building and added a newsstand next to Al's Hair:

(still working on the finishing touches to the top floor)

IMG_5575 by Lego Conductor, on Flickr

[LegoSjaak]

8 hours ago, Lego Conductor said:

Expanded the light blue building and added a newsstand next to Al's Hair:

(still working on the finishing touches to the top floor)

IMG_5575 by Lego Conductor, on Flickr

You did a pretty great job here! Did you add 2 small 8x16 baseplates? Who inspired you to change AL's  into AL'S HAIR?

Edited October 19, 2016 by Rick
Do not quote images unnecessarily

[Lego Conductor]

Thanks Mr LegoSjaak!

Been inspired by your work with modular as well as others on this site.   Consider the hair a homage!!  Went through with this mod when I came across the 8x32 baseplate.  Really didn't want to do a 16x32 mod.  One more mod next.  In Northen California there is a famous restaurant, the French Laundry.   I own the Parisian Resturant and have the bricks for the laundry left over from my Brickbank mod!

[The lego fan]

Love this set!