[MOC] Adaptive Architects

[Dakar A]

 

Adaptive Architects is a 32x32 modular building, and the third fully custom modular that I've designed and created, from initial sketches to final build with instructions- the complete Lego product cycle, as far as a single person can at least! 

 

 

 

THE BUILDING

The building was done in the style of a turn of the century American brick building, that has been rehabilitated as an adaptive reuse project, preserving the façade of the original building, but improving it for modern efficiency standards with corrugated iron woven into the structure of the existing brick. I wanted to play with the idea of a "solid" façade mixed in with the very square glass and metal structures that you see in a lot of swanky new developments in major downtowns.

 

 

Of course, it also has to fit with the other modular buildings in order to really be called a successful modular building, right? The in-set porch gives a pleasing difference in depth compared to the rest of the modular street, and I think that it looks right at home with other American style modulars such as the Detective's Office and Brick Bank- the roof height of the "original" sections of the building match up with the existing rooflines, while the adaptive section rises above, both conveying how it was an addition on top of the existing building, AND giving a sort of observation platform to the rest of the modular street- a perspective that I feel like fits the adaptive reuse idea of melding the past (sight lines to the other buildings) with the future (lots of glass letting in light and opening the space above the more crammed street below).

 

 

Of course, with such a heavenly, god-like view, who should get the penthouse suite but the head architect of the firm? I made liberal usage of the 1x2x2 window frame as cast iron legs for furniture throughout the building, both to decrease the overall number of part types required to build it AND because I feel like that sort of solid, thick steel construction is big in that neo-industrial aesthetic these days.

 

 

I borrowed the design for the drafting boards from 4000034 System House- I just created my own arm out of the 3L bar pieces and adapters instead of the 3d printed solution or brick-built alternate used there. I also changed the boards to green, because all my experience with drafting boards has had them green, and not white!

 

 

 

Finally, the lobby is the most detailed and colorful, in the Modular tradition. There's an architectural model, some project the firm is known for; the reception desk replete with minimalist logo for the firm; and a seating area with those moderately uncomfortable velvet stool things that are almost definitely there to look good and not be sat on!

 

THE DESIGN PROCESS

 

The initial form for this build came the way I always do it- some mood board research on Google, combined with ideas I amass day to day, and then some sketching to try and rough out a shape for the build. As you can see here, the porch has been a constant, even if the design of the rest of the building shifted around a good bit.

 

 

However, as these things go, I wasn't happy with my first pass. It was too blocky and uniform. It didn't have the whimsy and charm that the Modular buildings embody for me. And that top gable didn't translate the way I'd hoped it would. So it was back to the drawing board.

 

 

As you can see, this sketch ended up being MUCH closer to the final design. Parts were retroactively added, but the majority of the shaping came from this drawing. I find that combining the unlimited palette of Stud.io with the conceptual freedom of sketching does a great job in helping me to refine an idea without having access to the bricks needed to rapidly prototype.

 

 

The boondoggle of the build was this gable, however. What I wanted to do was to have plates make up the roof portion, and a nice clean façade beneath them. What I quickly realized, however, was that the Lego system is not friendly to SNOT angles without an overhang, and that I would need a number of parts that do not exist (in dark orange, no less) to accomplish my vision the way I'd...envisioned it. So back to the drawing board (you can see my sketch for the roof done with standard roof bricks in the sketch above- that left page was done after the one to the right).

 

 

Once I'd acquiesced to using plain old roof bricks, the construction of the build really flowed from there. This is my second draft, with incomplete interior and missing a lot of detailing on the upper floors. But the overall shape and character of the building was complete at this point. 

 

 

The little cornice/ornamentation at the top of the left column of the building took a bit of iteration. I was trying to go for a sort of wrought iron/rusted steel vibe with it, pulling inspiration from many of the buildings on my mood board. Ultimately I went with a more textured version of this that separated the brown section below and the wrought iron section on top, with a bit of the medium azure to carry through the accent color and really make it pop.

 

FINAL THOUGHTS

 

 

  

Thank you for reading and viewing my MOC! I'm really proud of this build and happy with how it came out. I feel that I successfully carried out the concept I was going for, and capturing the aesthetic I wanted. My favorite part is probably using the hinge bricks in brown as detail on the 2nd floor in order to get a more compact "recessed" pressed metal detail. Instructions are available through Rebrickable!

[TheLegoDr]

First off, well done. I do love some dark orange buildings. I like that you included your prep/planning. I tend to also draw out my buildings beforehand, so I can get approximate spacing and if something will work. I can do it in my head, but I find I like drawing it on paper, if not to visually see it of course, but also because I just miss drawing I think. Either way, that is always neat to see how someone thinks when putting together a building.

I like the lower windows. The studs showing through the trans brick adds a lot of character. (Even though you said it was too blocky, I really liked the original build that was more symmetrical).

Now question, this is a render right? I realize you made instructions so it needs to be able to be built in real life, but with a digital build, might as well just do the parts that don't exist because that sloped roof over those 1x2 modified slope pieces looked really sharp. But the final roof on the right side definitely looks better with the 1x1 round hinge plate compared to just empty.

My favorite part is either the lower SNOT windows, or the roof area on the left side (the flat part). Adding in what I assume is 1x1 modified with clip plates always adds some character to a roofline.

[Dakar A]

It is a render! However, it was built with the goal of doing it IRL one day, so as much as I'd love to play Lego Designer and request that they make 3 new elements for my set, I opted for the more pedestrian, yet realistic option of using the existing roof bricks. I also think going for the flat roof design would have become a PITA as it extended rearwards- I don't think there are many elegant solutions for mating up one half of a roof like that to a square section.

I'm a big fan of the lower windows too- I wanted to go for something that had the kind of big panel glass that you see on newer buildings, but also felt like it was built from materials from the early 1900s. And I think the necessary artifice of stacking 1x2 plates and tiles really gives it that feel of something older, compared to just using 1x4x6 frames and glass panels.

And as for the left side, you got it on the nose! 1x1 clips recessed on those 2x2 half plate/half tile guys from Minecraft, with a 2x8 on top.

[Lyichir]

Wow, a gorgeous-looking modular design! It's got a good mix of traditional and modern aesthetics that feels perfect for an architectural office/studio.

[Dakar A]

Appreciate it! That blend of modern and traditional was the exact mix I was going for; it's edifying to get validation that I succeeded!

[flameshretoos]

The use of studs in the windows to add texture and the balance between symmetry and asymmetry in a design can indeed have a significant impact on the overall character of a building.
As for the render question, while I can’t create or view renders, I can understand the appeal of experimenting with parts that don’t exist in reality when working digitally.  Exclusive ProCADIS.com discounts on Autodesk AutoCAD 2018 downloads. It allows for a level of creativity and exploration that might not be possible with physical bricks. The 1x1 round hinge plate you mentioned does sound like it provides a neat solution for the roof’s finish.

Edited March 26 by flameshretoos