LEGO MODULAR BUILDINGS 101

BY KATIE MITCHELL

“LEGO MODULAR” MEANS…

An urban-themed Lego building that is designed to be compatible with Lego’s modular building sets.

BASIC DIMENSIONS

• 1 full baseplate wide (32x32 studs)
• 2-3 stories tall
• Approximately 10 bricks high per story

BASIC DIMENSIONS

1x2 technic bricks with single hole on:

- 10^th &11^th stud from front, &

- 22^nd and 23^rd stud from front

BASIC DIMENSIONS

• Sidewalks:
• Are 8 studs deep
• Have a light bluish gray tile

running along the outer edge

• Have about 2 grates per baseplate
• Have 1 white lamp post
• Have 1-2 benches/trees/other infrastructure

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STARTING YOUR BUILD

COMMIT TO A BASE

• Standard option = start building on the baseplate
• MILS = creating a higher base by stacking

1 baseplate, 1 brick, and 1 plate

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COMMIT TO A BASE

• Standard option is compatible

with Lego Modular sets,

and uses fewer bricks

• MILS allows for extra space under the

building to add wires for lights, create

a sunken room, or add other cool

architectural features,

and is sturdier for transport

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START FROM THE BOTTOM

Create a floorplan before completing the walls!

• It’s easier to make changes before the walls are up
• If you like posing figs, add a few single studs

or jumper plates on the floor

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MOVING UP TO THE WALLS

- 1-wide bricks for the walls maximize interior space

- You can add SNOT to the walls as you go to add

art, cabinets, shelves, etc

• Lock in the walls by overlapping bricks for sturdiness
• If you have brick-built stairs, you can lock them into the walls

UPPER FLOORS

For upper floors:

• Use as few and as big of plates as you can,

as smaller plates cause bowing

• Connect the seams with long 1-wide or

2-wide plates from underneath

- Leave space for stairs if desired

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HOW TO VIEW THE INTERIOR

• Build each floor to be lifted off the one below

(this is part of the “lego modular” standard design!)

• Tile the tops of all the walls
• Use 1x4 tile plates to connect sparingly, or create a lip where the upper floor rests atop and fits just inside the lower floor

HOW TO VIEW THE INTERIOR

• You can use large windows to see the interior

from the front

• 3^rd party lighting can illuminate the details

TIPS & TRICKS

OTHER TIPS

• The front is always visible, but the back and sides

can be messier unless…

• If you don’t build all the way to the back of the baseplate,

then the back will be visible from the back yard

OTHER TIPS

• Use 1-wide bricks for walls to allow more interior space
• Emphasize windows and doors – the more detail, the better!
• If something doesn’t end up how you planned, no one else will know unless you tell them!
• Don’t forget finishing touches – perhaps the minifig who lives there could have a potted plant on their balcony, or a shop could have a cart with merchandise outside the door

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RESOURCES

• Lego.com building instructions – see how the pros designed other modulars
• Get inspiration from books, Brick Journal, Instagram
• Contact your local Lego User Group’s leadership and ask if they have any mentors for modular buildings

THE POSSIBLITIES ARE ENDLESS

Full Width

(1 baseplate)

Half Width

(½ baseplate)

Corner

(1 baseplate)

THE POSSIBLITIES ARE ENDLESS

Quarter Width

Odd Angles

Leave an Alley

QUESTIONS?

*Contact: Katie Mitchell at thekatiemitchell@gmail.com

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*Or reach out to me through TNVLC.org or

KnoxvilleLUG.org