paupadros

Out of pure interest, what is your general assessment of the modulars released since the Diner? Maybe my standards are too high but I genuinely feel a massive dip in quality. I feel that I only really like the Boutique Hotel and the Jazz Club. But "like", not love like some of the classics.

Perhaps. I also kept in mind that I wanted to submit it to the BDP, so gears will always be available, whilst an actuator is rather specialty and it could easily be removed :) Thank you! You Opera looks great too! I left a comment there too :) Honestly, this is my 13th modular, so it was a matter of: "man I've done so many buildings in so many styles, let me try something with some motion!". You've built modulars yourself, you know that a decision you make affects the whole design, because they are rather constrained builds. In this case, the mechanism takes up almost the entirety of the ground floor and for it to be properly modular, you want to connect to the street, so stairs and a bridge were a must. And that left a small sliver on the left for the building itself. It's still a unique layout and I think it works quite well!

Excellent design! I saw it on the BDP (second time now?). Whoa, a 1000 piece reduction is massive! Is that down mostly to using larger pieces wherever possible? I also think the façade has clearly improved, with a nicer balance between whites and tans. More narrower columns work really well. I think it's a bit of shame how it doesn't have the pins to properly connect to other modulars. I know it's a lot deeper than regular modular, but perhaps it could be the first 48x32 modular, with a proper street at the front. I also really like the graphic design work :) Overall, great improvement!

Funny you say so, I actually did look into linear actuators. I couldn't find a way to get it to fit in the 4 bricks I had, but this example of yours would clearly be suitable. I was also a bit iffy about leaving the control of ensuring it goes up vertically to just the walls or a slider, which is why I opted for four synced worm gears on the sides. In a way, it's similar to your suggestion but having the actuator "decomposed" on the four sides, instead of in the centre and relying on liftarms. I also figured linear actuators are more expensive than standard worm gears, but might be wrong on that. If it does get selected and the system is proven unreliable, I'd take an approach akin to yours thanks!

Welcome aboard the little narrowboat! Hi everyone! Haven't been very active lately, but I do lurk . Anyway, after 2 years! I've finished another custom modular building, my thirteenth! This model began from wanting to have a modular that you can easily interact with. My models have rarely had much motion, so I wanted to have a go! I chose to build a lock because I love all kinds of infrastructure and because I could come with with a nice industrial cityscape, something I had wanted to build for a while. Coming up with a good layout was quite difficult because there are a few limiting factors. You need to connect to other modulars on either side with a continuous pavement, while having to go over the canal, leaving enough clearance for the boats and leaving space under for the mechanism. Finding a reliable and compact mechanism took a lot of work. I ended up with a design with design four vertical worm gears that activate an axle lift with bushes. It can get jammed from time to time, hence why the gears are easily accessible. Mechanism: If you want to take a closer look at it, I have the CAD uploaded to Mecabricks. I take suggestions as to how to make the mecahnism simpler, because it's currently quite gear-heavy. Interiors: The ground floor of the building has a little ticket shop in front and the exposed mechanism for the lock behind, so both minifigures and builders can access it! If you've seen my models previously, you know interiors is something I can struggle with, especially when I have too much room to work with. This is probably my favourite interior of mine. It's a cosy cinema, with a camera build I'm quite proud of. The grandpa and kid seem to be playing a Lego version of Casablanca. I wonder if it's a reference to anything... Finally, under the roof, there is a bit of a cluttered mess. This area is accessed via a retractable ladder from the cinema, so it's only natural things get forgotten up here! I quite like the candle build here. I've also always wanted to add cobwebs to a modular, but never had the space to do it! Architecturally, it takes cues from industrial architecture in England (such as the Camden Lock, the Birmingham Canals...), America (such as the Distillery District in Toronto) and especially architecture from the Hanseatic cities in northern Europe (Speicherstadt in Hamburg, Lübeck..., the first being a major inspiration), but as usual, I get the gist of the building without copying exact details from the reference material. I've uploaded the model to the Bricklink Designer Program. This is the fourth time I've tried it without much luck, so I'm not too hopeful, but we'll see! I was already designing this when the oportunity came up, so I thought, might as well! I genuinely think this would be a great product. The techniques are interesting, and the end result is sturdy. A modular with as little building as this would not get released as an official model, but maybe through this program it might! Hope you like it.

Build a collection of birds from around the world! This project recreates the iconic look of three birds from around the world: the European Goldfinch, the Golden-Headed Quetzal from Central and South America and the Lilac-Breasted Roller from southern and eastern Africa. I've created this build for the Bricklink Designer Program Series 4. Go give it a VOTE if you want it to become a real set! European Goldfinch (Carduelis Carduelis) The European Goldfinch is a small bird (12–13 cm – 4.7–5.1 in – long with a wingspan of 21–25 cm (8.3–9.8 in), native to Europe, North Africa and western and central Asia, although it has been introduced to other parts of the globe such as America and Oceania. It has a pretty colour scheme consisting of white, black, red and yellow. Due to the thistle seeds it eats, it is symbolically associated with the crown of thorns. This is why goldfinches are often depicted in Italian Renaissance paintings of the Madonna and Child. I chose this bird because it is the main subject of the famous “The Goldfinch” by Carel Fabritus (1654). Depicted in the model is a male European Goldfinch sitting on a fallen branch in a forest with rocks, foliage, mushrooms and lichen, typical of autumn forests throughout Europe. Golden-Headed Quetzal (Pharomachrus Auriceps) The Golden-Headed Quetzal is a subspecies of the quetzal, a bird native to the forests of Central and South America. It is quite large and has a striking iridescent red, green, black and golden plumage. The Quetzal is very culturally significant for the ancient Maya and Aztecs. Their feathers were considered luxury goods to represent high status and are often seen in the headdresses of the emperors and other costume elements. One of the most significant Aztec gods, Quetzalcóatl, literally translates to “snake with quetzal feathers”. Kukulkan, the Maya equivalent of Quetzalcóatl, has a temple dedicated in its honour in Chichen Itza, which produces the sound of the quetzal with the echo of a clap. The model depicts a male Golden-Headed Quetzal sitting on a tree branch in the rainforest. The jungle floor has a lush green colour and features Amazon Lilies (Urceolina Amazonica). The bird doesn't actually have a golden head, but Lego pieces allow it, so the Golden-Headed Quetzal finally has a shiny head! Lilac-Breasted Roller (Coracias Caudatus) The Lilac-Breasted Roller is a bird that resides in southern and eastern Africa. It is famous for its unique mix of purple, green, blue and brown plumage. They reside in savannas and open woodlands. These birds are carnivores, and eat arthropods and small vertebrates. They are the unofficial national bird of Kenya. The model depicts a Lilac-Breasted Roller perching on a mound of dirt. Behind the model is a small skeleton of one of its victims. This build aims to be an update of the beautiful 21301 Birds, with more detail on the habitats (more in line with the newer 21. I chose culturally significant birds to their respective places of origin and. With this model, I tried to represent three very different birds from around the world, each with their unique history with local cultures, unique colours, sizes and diets. I think I was able to pack a lot with a small piece count and I hope you like this model!

Very interesting subject matter and absolutely excellent execution! I wonder how robust it is.

Thank you so much! I think I captured the essence of the city quite well. Thanks! I think the angle gives it the extra interest that would otherwise be missing. Thank you for all the comments! Sorry for responding close to 3 months late, but greatly appreciated!

Thank you so much! I'd been to London a week prior to designing this, so I had plenty of source material fresh in my mind, which definitely helped. Thanks! The gap is pretty accidental and a consequence of angling the façade of the Print Shop, but I think it adds something to the whole too ;) Thank you! Means a lot coming from you :)

Love it!! The façade that faces the platform is pretty cool but my favourite part is the platform and the elevated tracks. Reminds me of stations in Vancouver or Japan

7/10 for me. My favourite part is the mansard roof with the skylights and the dome. The row of white ingots just beneath it is alos very classy. The pediment also seems proportionate. There was an opportunity for nicer or cleverer NPU in the tympanum though i think. The streetscape with the little walled gardens look great and the tree breaks the monotony well. The colour is fine for me, I'm not too fond of the tan frames around the windows (perhaps in white they would have worked with the whole model better). I quite dislike the ares inside the pillars. As someone said earlier, a balcony breaking it up would have helped. Perhaps, the walls on this central section should have been a different colour, so that it stands out as the focal point of the building. I also would have added a white line on the edges of the building to frame it better. In the group pic of the back of the box, it "bleeds" into the Jazz Club. For that building it made less sense, but for a classis/neoclassic building such as this one, it does make sense. Overall quite decent, but seems small for the piece count.

Now it's going to be a disappointment when we finally see it! This looks larger than what I envisioned from the description but we'll see!

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you like it. It took a little while to get the colour scheme right. I wanted a building in Medium Nougat and another in Tan, as they are overwhelmingly the most predominant colours one tends to see around London. Green and red as the bases were chosen to complement without overwhelming, hence why I chose Sand Green (as opposed to a brigher green) and Dark Red. The angle was the first thing I knew I wanted in the build. It adds that interest that can only be achieved using interesting compostion. Having the maps in the front is a fair criticism. I have them there as it is inspired by the Portobello Map Shop, which has a large stand of old maps in front. I debated removing them, but kept them in the end. Thank you so much! Thanks! It was a bit unexpected, as it got frontpaged almost immediately! Thank you so much for voting, we'll see how it turns out. Absolutely agreed, from the first two series, it was a bit frustrating to see how many of the designs are just gigantic. The intention was always to have a 800-1500 piece model of a full street façade with that British charm. Thank you! Usually my buildings contain quite a lot of chopping and pasting to create a never before seen building. For this, I consciously kept it quite simple and authentic to the source material. Making them "stand out" therefore was quite difficult. So with pretty much every element of the building, there is a familiarity between buildings, but everything changes. Different windows (widths, heights, fences), different brick colour, different cornices...

"London Street" is my entry for Bricklink Designer Program Series 3. You can check it out there, but I was tremendously busy to post it here and voting is already over. The build depicts a typical street of the British capital. Inspired by the buildings of the neighbourhoods of Soho, Camden and Islington. The model consists of two brick terraced houses set on a fictional street. The ground floor of the buildings have brightly-coloured wooden shopfronts that are common throughout the UK. The buildings are placed at an angle to add interest to the composition of the model. The left building is home to Erling & Sons Flower Shop, boasting an enchanting Sand Green, Tan, and Dark Orange colour palette. It draws loose inspiration from the Golden Eagle tavern on 59 Marylebone Lane. The building on the right is home to Print and Map Shop. It uses a combination of Dark Red and Medium Nougat to replicate some of the more typical terraced homes found all throughout England. The ground floor design takes cues from the Print and Map Shop on Portobello Road. A few extra pics so you can judge it for yourselves:

That looks interesting! Finally another wide modular! I hope they nail the architecture. Surprised how many of you dislike Olive Green given how Parisian Restaurant is probably the most loved model in the entire series. For a Natural History Museum I would have expected a building like the one in Kensington, but excited to see how it will turn out.