The Getty Center

After about a month or so of nightly research, planning, building and rebuilding, and two days of rushed photo-taking (racing home after work to try to take pictures before the sunset), I am proud to present my latest work, The Getty Center.



The Getty Center is my entry to the EuroBricks.com Architecture Building Contest which has recently concluded.



My entry finished in 5th place (netting me a Brandenburg Gate!) which I am both proud of and humbled by. The competition was stiff and many of the entries were not only remarkable, but could very easily be actual LEGO Architecture sets should LEGO choose to produce them.



This definitely was one of the hardest LEGO challenges I've come up against to date. Not only were there issues with scale, feasibility (with LEGO bricks as a medium) and layout, but I had to do some major editing, image searching and plenty of corrections as well.



I started with an aerial view of the Getty, rotated it to meet my needs and added a grid for reference. As I started the build, I quickly realized that I was somewhat over my head given the time constraints of the competition. I ended up omitting the central garden of the Getty Center, an area that is probably as iconic as the architecture of the Getty Center itself, in order to focus on the courtyard and produce the best representation I could at the scale I was working with.



Much of my time (I'd estimate a good 40% of the build process) was spent on the Arrival Plaza that, aside from the Tram, is the first notable experience that visitors would have of the Getty Center.



I started out with a self-standing model that later was modified and put in place on the base once I had figured the proper elevation levels I was going to build the model at.



Figuring out how to build each building in relation to the ground was actually what caused me so many headaches through this process. The Getty Center is, after all, built upon a hill. There were many points where I thought I had the build executed correctly, only to discover a new picture of the actual Getty Center which said otherwise, necessitating that I undo all my work to carefully start over again from the ground up.



Despite it definitely not being to scale though, I am happy that I was able to pull this off, mainly due to smart planning. I spent so much of the building process simply staring at pictures and trying to decide the best mathematically-based approach to make everything line up to at least give a good representation of the grounds.



I'm sure I probably could have made a better effort of it had I actually got to visit the Getty Center sometime during the build process, but the timing of the contest and other factors just didn't allow that.



Still, I am very happy with how everything turned on under the circumstances. Part of me is also considering continuing the work to include the other parts of the Getty Center that I never got to work on.



But I'm definitely going to have to take a break before I do so. And there are other projects that are not only calling my name, but I actually had to borrow pieces from to complete this project.



Thanks to those who've supported me in this effort, to those who voted for me, and thanks for reading!

Executive Plaza

Seems that it is contest season again, and as always, I'm throwing my work into the great pool of entries, hoping that my work is appreciated (and perhaps that I'll be rewarded with some nice prizes!).



The Executive Plaza is my entry for the ToysNBricks.com Microbuild LEGO Tournament 2012.





This was a challenging and interesting build for me. My main goals were to stay true to LEGO's original Mini Modulars set, use a combination of dark red and dark orange to create an interesting facade, as well as to try to restrict myself to a box/square-like build that would be appropriate to a place of work.



One of the highlights of the build was the second floor balcony, which adds just a tiny bit of curving to a very square build. The idea itself was easy to conceive, but the execution took a few experimental iterations with various pieces to get it exactly how I wanted.



While very simple in terms of technique, I also like and would like to highlight the loading dock in the back. I'd like to think that it is similar to some of the small touches LEGO likes to throw into their sets that often go unnoticed.

All in all, I had a blast building this and am proud of it. Now on to the next contest: EuroBricks.com's Architecture Building Contest!

Kendo

Not much here; just a quick build that I did on a whim. When LEGO first showcased the new Ninjago line for 2012 with Kendo masks, I knew I had to get a few.

I made this little vignette in about 15 minutes as an exercise in speed and minifigure posing. Forgive me as usual for the lighting and any historical inaccuracies (the Sai were just too cool to leave out).

443 - Facade

Believe it or not, I am working on this, but between being sick, being busy at work, and our camera being finicky recently, I've not been able to put out as many content updates as I would've liked.

Nonetheless, the build is progressing, and the end is in sight. More to come, promise!

443 - Resumption

After a six month hiatus, I've returned with motivation, and Christmas and Birthday money, to complete my various LEGO projects.

Top on my list is the completion of 443. We recently visited the home that I grew up in, and it has proved to be the last time we'll see it, since the sale of the complex that the condominium is a part of has gone through.

It is a weird feeling, knowing that something that I've long considered as "home" (even more so than the places I've lived since moving out) will soon be no more (it will likely be torn down and a new development project started), but a great feeling trying to recreate that place (and the good feelings that come from it) in the form of a model.

In any case, expect more action on this blog over the next few months, mainly centered around 443, but also some of my other projects (both existing ones and new ones). I may also share some of the recent works that I've built with/for my son and/or works he's built entirely by himself (he is really coming into his own as a builder... this dad is proud!). Stay tuned!

443 - Upstairs

After a period of continual readjustments, I think I finally have the correct dimensions of the house in general to start on the second level. They aren't perfect, but that's what I will just have to deal with given the medium.



So far I've finished with the two bathrooms, hallway and the air well. These are likely to be the hardest portions of my build because of the need to make sure the rooms upstairs are properly aligned with the rooms downstairs.



I do wish the hallway was a little bit longer, but unless I intend to add more height to the bottom level (and therefore a WHOLE lot more bricks), the dimensions of the bathrooms are somewhat confining me to that space.



I'm most excited to finally have the proper framework to start on the second level. The bedrooms were giving me some worry initially, but my parents were kind enough to take some actual measurements for me which have confirmed that I'm reasonably on the right course.



But every step closer to the finish line just acts as another reminder that I am woefully short on pieces. They trickle in slowly as my budget allows, but progress is slow. The good thing though is that it may well line up that I get a chance to visit my childhood home in November. It would make me happy to get a chance to see it again in person before putting the finishing touches on this model later this year. Until then, I make do with what I have.

443 - Patio and Living Room

The framework of the entire first level is finally actualized, although not yet fully complete. I had been waiting on a large order of white bricks to come in, and that has finally allowed me to lay enough foundation to be able to start work on the second level.



My challenge now will be to calculate and properly recreate the rooms of the second level in relation to the bottom level, as well as adjust the build to accommodate the modular nature of the build so far.



The living room has also seen a few minor adjustments. I've added an air conditioner, a small dresser, and adjusted some decorative elements on the side table and on the wall. Also added is what is supposed to be a clock table of sorts, represented by what is supposed to be a circular map piece that was in the set that my children got me for Father's Day (thanks guys!).

I know I say it often, but it remains true: there's more to come. I have a lot of work that I want to and am able to do (in terms of available pieces) in the next week or so, should I have the free time for it. So, stay tuned!

Church of the Master: Concept

It has been a busy month for me personally and professionally, and the blog is long overdue for an update.

That said, even though I have not spent as much time recently with LEGO as I'd like, the blog has been left unattended mostly because my work recently hasn't been cosmetic. For example, I've had to do a foundational adjustment to 443, and I've adjusted The Dark Tower so that I can add to the top half easily using random pieces for a proof of concept (rather than something I'm ready to show).

What I do have to show is a small piece of what I hope will someday be a larger work.

The Church of the Master is a Presbyterian church that I drive by every day as I head home from work. For years, I drove by it, not really noticing it, until recently when my new LEGO hobby opened my eyes to small architectural details in buildings that I once thought I was familiar with and could describe with my eyes closed.



What I liked most about the architecture of this particular church is the tower that features multiple crosses. It sits on the corner of a major intersection and looks quite nice, especially with the sun shining through it at right times of the day.

My hopes for this would be to eventually expand this out into a larger building, and maybe take some creative liberties as far as adding some stained glass and other features from similar churches.

All in due time though; I'm hoping to display some major progress on 443 soon, and that is the project that is closest to completion, so that's where my budget is going for now. Some day though...

443 - Furniture

Now that my build has progressed to the point where I can make adjustments to the living room, I have been spending most of my time building the living room furniture.



Furniture building can be a very simple or very complex process depending on what you need done. There are simple and obvious ways to create couches and chairs, coffee tables and dining room tables, even shelves and cabinets. Then there are complex ways to do the very same things.



Deciding which route (simple or complex) to go, I feel, is the challenge. The important thing is to not sacrifice scale for detail. An ornate piece of furniture won't sit well in a living room filled with other furniture much bigger or smaller than it.



Another thing I've learnt to do is to use color as texture. Little breaks in the color scheme can give the impression of texture, so you don't have to worry as much about complex curves or complicated detailing.



And like a good on screen adaptation of a book, you need to know where to take creative liberties based on the medium. In other words, don't be so caught up in staying "true to the original" that you end up with something less than desirable.



I've also found that you have to be constantly willing to evaluate and change as you build. Compare the antique wooden safe above (brown and gold on the left) to two other versions of it pictured in other pictures in this post. I've yet to decide what I like best, or that I've even found one that will be in my final version.



What I do know is that I shouldn't consider anything done just because I've built it. Unlike other "true" arts, LEGO is a medium that allows for decisions to be reversed. I'm never locked into doing something a certain way, and I certainly don't need to start from scratch if I've made a mistake. As someone who learns a lot through trial and error, this is something that highlights why I loved as a child, and have come to love as an adult, this great hobby.