There are various types of methods for constructing architectural models. One of the more uncommon methods is the use of Lego bricks. Lego, as a brand, has made its way into the architectural field due to the simplicity of its modularity and the joy of its construction.
The Aim
This project aims to use Rhino.inside to develop a scaled model with real Lego blocks. Any model on revit can be converted in to Lego blocks, with an accurate break down of the number of blocks, windows, doors etc. along with their dimensions.
The Workflow
A floorplan is generated using Revit. The components of the floorplan are then brought into Rhino using Rhino.Inside. The entire model is then scaled down in Rhino and the components are split into standard Lego sizes. These blocks are then brought back into Revit and a schedule of the blocks are created.
The Process
The project starts with a familiar floor plan, the apartment from the show Friends. The apartment is then constructed in Revit. The detail of the apartment is up to the user, for this project it was simplified to its floors, walls, doors, and windows.
The model is brought into Rhino using Rhino.Inside and then the components are all scaled down. The scaling is implemented for size but more importantly, in order to standardize the Lego sizes that will be generated from the model and reduce the number of blocks required to build the model.
The grasshopper script is able to give us the amount of blocks that are being used. To get an understanding of the logistics, the blocks are then agglomerated in order to calculate the contained space the blocks will require to be shipped.
The final blocks are then brought back into Revit in order to develop a schedule of types, sizes, and amount of Lego bricks.
Revit is seen as a rigid software that does not allow for a vast transformation of the model. This process allows us to take a model through a process that produces a very simple alternative for model making. It highlights the possibility to create simple workflows that can then be further developed according to the producer’s preferences.
Lego is a project of IAAC, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia developed in the Master in Advanced Architecture 2020/21 by: Alisa Iureva, Eve Nnaji, Madhavi Ojha and Sneha Vivek.