While the Lego Architecture Studio includes a great selection of bricks for creative architectural sketching, I found the selection of bricks is lacking in two main areas: bricks needed for advanced building techniques, and specialty bricks for accents and detail work. Over the course of my Lego Architecture Studio 30-day challenge, I’ve identified the top 10 bricks that were not included in the set but should have been. Later in this article, I’ll teach you how to buy these bricks to augment your Architecture Studio. The Technic 1×1 and 1×2 bricks are very versatile for two reasons. 1) They allow you to attach a normal stud at a 90 degree angle allowing SNOT construction. 2) They have a hollow stud on top which allows you to attach bricks on top with a 1/2 brick offset. I used a couple of 1×1 bricks to attach the sign to the top of my #17 Art Deco Theatre model. The set includes a nice selection of 1×1 and 2×2 round bricks. I don’t know why they didn’t include some cones to add some nice accents to your models.
I used the 1×1’s for light fixtures on #22 Craftsman home and #20 Castle, and I used the 2×2’s for the lamp in #8 Furniture. Flags make excellent accents to buildings, and they can also be used to represent tapestries or hanging art in your models. I used them for wall coverings inside rooms in #28 Living Room and I should have used them to decorate #20 Castle. Sometimes you need a slender component when building a detailed or microscale model. I prefer the versatility of the bars which can be inserted into a jumper to use it vertically, or held horizontally with clips. I used these in several models including projects #30 Library, #26 Ski Lodge, #22 craftsman, #11 skyscraper and #8 furniture. Any brick which can allow me an 1/2 brick offset is an immediate winner. The 2×2 jumper allows offset in both directions, replacing the use of three normal 1×2 jumpers. (I also tripled the number of 1×2 jumpers in my collection, as they are extremely useful!)
I used these in most of my projects, notably for light posts in #22 craftsman and to attach the castle to the baseplate in #20 Castle. The Architecture Studio includes a good number of this brick’s cousins with studs on more sides (4733 or 47905), but I find the simplest version with an outward facing stud on just one side to be the most versatile, because the second stud on the version with studs on 2 sides can get in the way when you don’t need it. The Architecture Studio set includes plenty of the more common 4070 Headlight brick (also known as the Erling brick), but I find the 1/5 brick indentation to be unattractive and inconvenient. I just got these, so I haven’t been able to use them yet! Clips are necessary to attach slender round components, Minifigure accessories, and can grab the side of plates. (Minifigure hands have the same diameter opening as clips.) I used these to attach the ski racks in #26 Ski Lodge and to attach the wall-mounted lights in #30 Library.
They can be a substitute for a hinge in some instances. Architectural models look a lot cleaner with a smooth surface. I’ve added well over 50 additional white tiles in a variety of sizes to my set, and I still wish that I had more (I especially like the 2×2 and 1×8 plates, and recently ordered a few 1×3 plates to help with odd-width models.) Prominent use of tiles included the gate for #20 Castle, the sign and sidewalk in #17 Art Deco Theatre, and were critical for #5 Shed home. It boggles my mind that the set included so many bricks but absolutely no hinges whatsoever. Each type of hings offers the ability to bend your model in different directions. For example, the 2429/2430 hinge is great to build walls in unorthodox angles, and I have found the 60478/63868 hinge to be incredibly useful for building large peaked roofs using common plates, and the 44301/44302 locking hinges are nice as they click into specific angles for more strength. Examples of their use include the roofs in #27 Rustic Cabin, #22 Craftsman, #5 Shed home or in the front-facing SNOT facade for #17 Art Deco Theatre.
Suffice it to say, the set should have at least included a white 16×32 or 32×32 baseplate. I really like using a colored baseplate with these stark white bricks, so you might also want a green or blue baseplate. Almost all of my projects used at least one baseplate! There a couple of ways to buy these crucial “missing bricks” to make your architecture studio more versatile. Before you go any further, I encourage you to make a list of all the parts you would like to acquire and the # of each brick you would like to buy. This will help you decide where to shop. I’ve already posted an article describing my portable Lego Architecture studio, so I’m not going to do that again. I did want to mention that I’ve added 4 small Plano boxes with adjustable dividers to organize my small specialty bricks. Each box has a focus: hinges, SNOT connections, Slopes and Trans-clear bricks. The following links might inspire you to organize your collection: Today’s post is part of my Lego Architecture Studio 30-day Challenge…