OT: LEGO Model of Central Campus Diag (30,000+ pieces)

Submitted by Bakers and Best on November 10th, 2020 at 9:12 AM

Full album available here

Last week I put the finishing touches on a project that I have worked on since 2017. This is the fourth Michigan related LEGO project I have done (football & helmet, Desmond Howard mosaic) and without question the biggest LEGO project I've ever worked on.

This is a scale model (1:381 to be very specific) of the central campus diag. It includes everything within the borders of North U, South U, East U (extended north) and State Street. The buildings are made from about 22,000 pieces and my best estimates put the base and landscaping at about an additional 8,000-10,000 additional pieces. When put together the model measures just under 3.5 feet long on each side. It is made up of sixteen 32x32 baseplates that can be connected together. The buildings are all separate structures that can be easily connected to the assembled bases.

Despite the scale I did my best to add as much detail as possible and I am very proud of how it turned out. This project started out as just digital designs and I never really considered that I would actually build the full model. I steadily made progress when I found the time and over the past few months got the last bit of designing, building, and landscaping done.

For those that are curious I have added a lot of commentary and details to the Imgur album about how I approached this project from start to finish. Happy to answer any questions you might have or share photos of specific areas that you don’t see in the album.

MGoBoard
Lego

1989 UM GRAD

November 10th, 2020 at 9:55 AM ^

This is incredible.  Kudos to you for your hard work and attention to detail.  I walked thru the diag this past Saturday...so I can attest to the accuracy of your model!

Joined: 03/08/2012

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Bakers and Best

November 10th, 2020 at 10:14 AM ^

Thank you! 

I'd like to once life returns to some semblance of normal. The Ann Arbor District Library has an annual Lego event that would be fun to showcase at. Maybe they would be interested in having it displayed for a week or something in the lobby. There are also more regional Lego events every year like Brickworld although I've only ever been there as a spectator.

Joined: 05/04/2015

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kehnonymous

November 10th, 2020 at 1:27 PM ^

This is impressive and gave me a much welcomed jolt of happiness!  Well done, indeed.

You probably already know this, since you just might be more knowledgeable about LEGOs than all of us, but there is a LEGO store in the Somerset Mall.

(There's also one near where I live at Columbus' Easton Centre, but I'm assuming you want to keep your creation un-pooped on)

Joined: 11/25/2011

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bassclefstef

November 10th, 2020 at 10:31 AM ^

Dude, this is cool as hell. I'm a big Lego fan, but I'm not patient enough to sit down and come up with my own stuff, so anyone who does quality MOC's has my admiration. I really like how this is in the same sort of style as the bigger architecture kits, but on a much larger scale.

Are there any other campus landmarks you're planning on tackling? I'd love to see Hill Auditorium and Burton Tower as a pairing someday.

Joined: 09/01/2019

MGoPoints: 5372

Bakers and Best

November 10th, 2020 at 10:57 AM ^

Thank you! Burton Tower was actually the very first campus building I made, about 5 years ago I threw together a very small version of it. It's on one of the shelves in the last few photos of that album. But having learned what I did after making these models I would probably start over on that. 

The nice thing about the grid setup is that it's easy to add other baseplates in the future. So if I wanted I could add extensions on all sides to expand the scope of it. 

Joined: 05/04/2015

MGoPoints: 617

Bakers and Best

November 10th, 2020 at 11:12 AM ^

I don't have instructions (and to be honest it would take me far longer to make them than actually building these) but all of the buildings I did design in Lego Digital Designer before actually building them. I'm happy to share those files. Apologies if what I am writing up below is like another language to someone...

I would say some familiarity with LDD is going to be necessary in order to get anywhere with these. They are mostly complete files but some newer piece types aren't available in LDD because the program itself is pretty old (I know that I could use Stud.io but I find LDD so much easier). So in those cases I substituted in red pieces that had a similar footprint and made notes to myself of what to use. If you import the LDD files into BrickLink you can get a piece list and go from there. When I was building I would open up the LDD files and gradually delete pieces as I built them into the model. There was also definitely some freelancing on the structural work as I went. They might not look very pretty on the inside but they're pretty sturdy. 

LDD Campus Files

Joined: 05/04/2015

MGoPoints: 617

UNCWolverine

November 10th, 2020 at 11:07 AM ^

Your second picture (musem steps) is the location where I puked while singing the Victors, blood streaming down both knees, after running the naked mile in April 1997. Good times.

Joined: 10/06/2008

MGoPoints: 23223

mjv

November 10th, 2020 at 11:48 AM ^

That is fantastic.  What is interesting is that it is probably the one area on campus that really hasn't changed much since I graduated in 1994 (outside of the completion of the construction project that enlarged Randall Lab and connected it to West Engine (and that West Engine is now West Hall).  

This brought a smile to my face today.  Thank you.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 3656

oriental andrew

November 10th, 2020 at 12:55 PM ^

Dang, this guy Legos. 

Campus is so different from the mid-late 90s. I guess it's not the West Engin Arch anymore. And some of those buildings are new and unrecognizable to me. 

Even so, that actually brought back some memories and it is - and you are - a-MAIZE-ing. 

Also happy to see Voltron, the yellow submarine and the Beatles and the Bell Tower. I'd love to see a scale model of Hill Auditorium and the fountain on the Ingalls Mall along with the bell tower and Michigan League. Spent many many hours inside Hill as a Glee club member.

Joined: 06/30/2008

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