Modular Building Sets - Rumours and Discussion

[Lyichir]

19 hours ago, DimiNi said:

I just saw this MOC on Rebrickable:

https://rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-124447/BrickAtive/andrews-church/#details

Since Lego will now also build religious architecture buildings (thanks to Notre Dame), I see a Church like that not as unlikely.

What are now the top predictions for this year?

I think representing a particular real, historical church and creating one of their own would be two very different things. The Notre Dame IS the Notre Dame, with all its particular history set in stone, so to speak—but creating a wholly new church in the modular series would involve choosing a particular style, denomination, etc. in a way that could be seen as preferencing one religious point of view over others. So I don't think that's particularly likely.

Add in the fact that Lego's depiction of Notre Dame is remarkably nonreligious—it recreates the architecture but there are no crosses or recognizable religious iconography (even the stained glass is depicted as colorless and focused more on the overall geometric form rather than the actual imagery of the real deal). I doubt a modular church, not based on a specific internationally known example, could pull that off and be recognizable as much of a church at all.

[Murdoch17]

Yeah, a modular church isn't gonna happen for the reasons @Lyichir stated. We have as much chance of a church as getting a modular morgue. (which is zero)

Edited July 20 by Murdoch17

[Lion King]

Speaking of morgue, funeral house has a very low chance too. Somehow, we have graveyard/cementry sets in the past, I don’t know how likely it will be for modular building as half modular building or add-on. 

Anyways, religious modular buildings are a no-no.

[hikouki]

On 7/19/2024 at 12:30 PM, Lion King said:

...

Like what? I could understand that Boutique Hotel had Easter egg (music hall ad) pointed us to Jazz Club. But Jazz club didn’t have any Easter eggs for Natural History Museum, right?

I suppose we will only know what easter egg it was, in hindsight - when the next modular is actually revealed.

[Lion King]

15 hours ago, hikouki said:

I suppose we will only know what easter egg it was, in hindsight - when the next modular is actually revealed.

Not sure what your point is exactly but, usually, modular buildings got revealed one or less month before the release dates. 

[DJMace]

6 hours ago, Lion King said:

Not sure what your point is exactly but, usually, modular buildings got revealed one or less month before the release dates. 

I believe the point was that any easter egg hidden in the Museum modular is so well hidden that we can't use it to guess what the next modular will be. But upon seeing the next modular, we may be able to look back and say 'Ah! All the bones WERE hinting at it being a hospital!' 😄

[hikouki]

7 minutes ago, DJMace said:

I believe the point was that any easter egg hidden in the Museum modular is so well hidden that we can't use it to guess what the next modular will be. But upon seeing the next modular, we may be able to look back and say 'Ah! All the bones WERE hinting at it being a hospital!' 😄

Exactly!!!

Sometimes I wonder if all the references are potential projects being developed and many of them end up being canceled or shelved at some point.

[Black Falcon]

2 hours ago, hikouki said:

Sometimes I wonder if all the references are potential projects being developed and many of them end up being canceled or shelved at some point.

Most of them likely are just references to past themes, that lego designers like, or references to Lego Designers themselves, which aren´t that uncommen either. Or could aswell just be something a Designer would like to build, hence why it is difficult to say what are real references for the future and what not.

[Lion King]

4 hours ago, Black Falcon said:

Most of them likely are just references to past themes, that lego designers like, or references to Lego Designers themselves, which aren´t that uncommen either. Or could aswell just be something a Designer would like to build, hence why it is difficult to say what are real references for the future and what not.

Right. And Police Station had references to crime drama tv show.  It has no reference to next modular building (Boutique Hotel)  I beleive designer who did Natural History Museum has reference to Year of Space stuff. 

[jonney]

Easter Eggs seem like bunk to me, but the old woman sitting on bench in front of the Museum does have a letter next to her, so maybe we'll finally get our Post Office.

[Gundeep]

Did you guys see this 'Ideas: 21353 Botanical Garden' set?

3792 pieces for $329.99 on November 1st.

Is this our modular?

[jus1973]

50 minutes ago, Gundeep said:

Did you guys see this 'Ideas: 21353 Botanical Garden' set?

3792 pieces for $329.99 on November 1st.

Is this our modular?

It’s an ideas set, so it’s not officially in the modular range, however the initial idea has some of the key modular components, such as the footpath/sidewalk, so if the Lego designers leave these alone, then it would fit into the modular range quite well.  Quite a lot of us have had a go at modularising the friends botanical gardens, so this ideas set is an interesting proposal in that it made it past the review phase.  A fair few of us didn’t expect it to get the nod.

[Gundeep]

21 hours ago, jus1973 said:

It’s an ideas set, so it’s not officially in the modular range, however the initial idea has some of the key modular components, such as the footpath/sidewalk, so if the Lego designers leave these alone, then it would fit into the modular range quite well.  Quite a lot of us have had a go at modularising the friends botanical gardens, so this ideas set is an interesting proposal in that it made it past the review phase.  A fair few of us didn’t expect it to get the nod.

Got it so like the A-frame cabin, Home Alone home or Treehouse can be incorporated.

[jus1973]

2 hours ago, Gundeep said:

Got it so like the A-frame cabin, Home Alone home or Treehouse can be incorporated.

Theres a website (Quite old now) here; https://amodularlife.wordpress.com/2010/06/12/modular-standards-for-lego-city-buildings/

which outlines the basic footprint and connection points for most common footprint variations.  The above mentioned Ideas sets, whilst using mini figs as a basis for size, don’t conform to the standards as sold, as they don’t have these key features, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be adapted.  Some are easier than others. Home alone wouldn’t take much, although it opens as a dolls house rather than each floor lifting off.  I’ve got the tree house, and it can be squeezed onto a 32x32 base plate, although the branches do overhang the sides which might cause issues next to some official modulars.  I’m not sure about the A frame, as i dont own it.  Others on here could offer advice if thats what you wanted.

[RichardGoring]

It's definitely a good starting point, but, as it says, do adapt it. The only thing you really need in place are the connection points.

The A-frame cabin and Treehouse could absolutely be on a MILS plate or baseplate, but I don't know if I'd want to do them on a 32x32 in a modular street. That feels like it spoils the sense of space around them. But a 48x32 or even 48x48 could look amazing.

I love the Home Alone house, but also wouldn't put it into a modular street because it's a different scale and dwarfs everything else in the modular line, which looks so odd. Same with The Simpsons house. Which is sort of a shame, but inevitable, given that they have to reflect specific locations and can't be an impression of them in the same way that a standard modular building is.

I wonder if we'll get any modulars in the Bricklink Designer Program. There were plenty (of good ones) in series 5. Only three more weeks to wait to find out.

[Lion King]

Is Sprng Festival set (from Chinese New Year) coined as “modular”? 

[Lemerbrix]

9 hours ago, Lion King said:

Is Sprng Festival set (from Chinese New Year) coined as “modular”? 

Not officially, but is compatible with modulars. I’m considering mirroring mine to better fit with my display.

[Gundeep]

On 7/31/2024 at 2:43 AM, Lion King said:

Is Sprng Festival set (from Chinese New Year) coined as “modular”? 

Are we talking #80113 Family Reunion Celebration? I think it's retiring now.

[FrkW]

2 hours ago, Gundeep said:

Are we talking #80113 Family Reunion Celebration? I think it's retiring now.

Anyone seen a picture of the Family Reunion Celebration next to the modulars, as is/unmodded? I'm geting FOMO...  

[Lion King]

3 hours ago, Gundeep said:

Are we talking #80113 Family Reunion Celebration? I think it's retiring now.

No, there was Spring Festival set that was released in 2021.it had a Chinese garden with the same family from Family Reunion Celebration in 2023.

[jus1973]

2 hours ago, Lion King said:

No, there was Spring Festival set that was released in 2021.it had a Chinese garden with the same family from Family Reunion Celebration in 2023.

I assume you’re discussing this

https://www.lego.com/en-gb/product/spring-lantern-festival-80107

in which case, its not an official modular, but it does have the key connection points in the right places, and pavement around 2 of the sides.  I have it next to the palace cinema, and it does look the part.

[Lion King]

1 hour ago, jus1973 said:

I assume you’re discussing this

https://www.lego.com/en-gb/product/spring-lantern-festival-80107

in which case, its not an official modular, but it does have the key connection points in the right places, and pavement around 2 of the sides.  I have it next to the palace cinema, and it does look the part.

Yes that’s one. As @Lemerbrix, it’s comparable to modular building collection but I do agree with you that it does have key elements.  And it also has baseplate too.

[Murdoch17]

Speaking of modular compatible, Bricklink Designer Program (BDP) will no longer allow modular building-compatible submissions starting with Series 6. Things like Brick Cross Train Station or Modular Construction Site will no longer be accepted in the future.

To quote the whole new ruleset as posted on Bricklink for those curious:

Quote

 

In order to help us project a vision of a sustainable future, we wish for you to adhere to these additional guidelines:

• Avoid depicting harm to animals (e.g. hunting and trapping; tied-up, caged or dead animals). Fishing is acceptable as well as the usage of any standard element that is used to depict a food element (e.g. part 64648).
• Avoid depicting wild animals in zoos, circuses, aquariums or other situations that are designed for human entertainment. Please only show wild animals in their natural habitats.
• Avoid highlighting fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas (e.g. depicting refineries, fuel storage or gas stations). It’s acceptable to showcase historical methods of transportation that rely on fossil fuels (e.g. steam locomotives). Modern vehicles need to adhere to this guideline, therefore the propulsion method should be ambiguous if it is not a sustainable power source.

Models may not be based off the following internal LEGO IP:

NINJAGO®, Dreamzzz, Friends, Monkie Kid, and the ICONS Modular format.

Buildings are acceptable to submit to BDP, but they should not reflect the Modular format. If a building looks similar to the design language of the ICONS Modular subtheme (row style building, separating floors, etc) it should use a different base technique. Buildings should also not copy the ICONS Modular baseplate layout design language directly (32x32 baseplate, sidewalk with lamps, Technic connection points). When we review BDP submissions, we will ask “could this model be confused as an ICONS Modular building?”

Part Selection:

Each minifigure head may only be used once in a submission. Skeleton heads do not apply to this rule.

Minifigures:

There’s a maximum of one minifigure for every 325 parts. See this table for minifigure count limits based on your part count. Skeletons do not count as minifigures.

Prepare Submission Info Ahead Of Time:

Design Title

• Design title cannot include LEGO in the title or any other LEGO property.
• Buildings should not include “Modular” in the title.
• Castle and Classic Space models should not include the faction name in the title (e.g. Lion Knight, Wolfpack, Blacktron, etc).

 

In essence, we won't see another modular building - or even anything close to one - from the BDP. Also, it kina worries me they claim the modular style is a IP owned by them.... it's a building style for crying out loud! How can you own something so vague and intangible as that?

Edited August 2 by Murdoch17

[Lion King]

I’m not worried about modular buildings not being accepted to BDP stuf on my end. 

[hikouki]

3 hours ago, Murdoch17 said:

Speaking of modular compatible, Bricklink Designer Program (BDP) will no longer allow modular building-compatible submissions starting with Series 6. Things like Brick Cross Train Station or Modular Construction Site will no longer be accepted in the future.

To quote the whole new ruleset as posted on Bricklink for those curious:

In essence, we won't see another modular building - or even anything close to one - from the BDP. Also, it kina worries me they claim the modular style is a IP owned by them.... it's a building style for crying out loud! How can you own something so vague and intangible as that?

 

1 hour ago, Lion King said:

I’m not worried about modular buildings not being accepted to BDP stuf on my end. 

I suppose I will just keep getting my modulars from rebrickable then.