MOC: Smart Home

[Hinckley]

Hello all. I've been really busy lately. I was out of town for a week and the week before I left I was commissioned by Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry to build a display for their Smart Home Exhibit. Naturally it was due right after I got back from vacation so I've been running non-stop since before the trip and ever since it's completion. The museum basically gave me free reign to create something for the boy's room in the Smart Home. The house was sponsored by WIRED magazine so I created some robots (with some clearance Grevious sets) and then built a model of the Smart Home. I couldn't have done that without the aid of fellow EBer stash2sixx who helped me source some bulk brick. Thanks buddy. You're awesome.

EDIT: Here is the exhibit the model is based off of (and residing in )

Anyway, here is the home pre-glue (yes, I had to glue it ). Somehow, I neglected to get good pics of it after I glued it which is unfortunate since I think it looks better on the base:

The base I eventually glued the model to sits one brick higher than the staircase, so that the top landing meets the door...

And here's the final display:

You may notice these pics are from BrickArtisan.com and not BrickZone.net. For several reasons, I would like to separate my MOCs from my comics. Mostly, professional client and The LEGO group (If I ever apply for the Certified Builder Program) might not care for the murder, adultery and gay characters of Fabuland Housewives or the "your comic taught my kid what a swirly is" of The Whacker and the Walrus. Both of which need new issues published. They're scripted, but not filmed. Anyway, my point is, the architect of the Smart Home wants to blog my LEGO version and I need to send her the new site address. Feel free to check it out and leave me feedback about it. I could use the advice. Thanks

Also, I look forward to hearing from you guys about the project and what you think and what I could improve, etc. Feedback appreciated! Thanks!

[I Scream Clone]

Hinck, I think you have done a great job on the design of the smart house The wood paneling is very appropriate and eye-catching. The futuristic windows and overhanging roof lines make a lot of sense in the design as well.

From what I understand about 'Smart houses' they should make use of things like rainwater run off, and decreased heating/cooling due to better natural insulation etc. Perhaps some awnings would serve a useful purpose in this structure as well as guttering showing the water course to gardens (may be too clunky for this creation though) The garden grass/plants are great to illustrate sustainability too. The only thing that troubles me is the three stories worth of stairs to climb to reach the top of the house, brutal.

PS, also a great idea to separate your websites

[Hinckley]

Hinck, I think you have done a great job on the design of the smart house The wood paneling is very appropriate and eye-catching. The futuristic windows and overhanging roof lines make a lot of sense in the design as well.

From what I understand about 'Smart houses' they should make use of things like rainwater run off, and decreased heating/cooling due to better natural insulation etc. Perhaps some awnings would serve a useful purpose in this structure as well as guttering showing the water course to gardens (may be too clunky for this creation though) The garden grass/plants are great to illustrate sustainability too. The only thing that troubles me is the three stories worth of stairs to climb to reach the top of the house, brutal.

PS, also a great idea to separate your websites

Let me be more clear. The model is based off of the home it is in:

It is not my design. I am just replicating it in LEGO. I'll add this picture to the first post to avoid any confusion...

[Guss]

very cool, it looks really nice! but but...

e (yes, I had to glue it ).

that's just too sad :cry_sad:

anyway, great moc , that's very accurate ^^

[MetroiD]

Cheers mate. Very nice model, may this one be the first of many commissioned MOCs to come :)

[Asuka]

A very impressive work! You rendered the original house in a simply splendid way, very well done indeed.

But, if I´m allowed to dream... there should be an interior too. With a microscale version of your MOC in it,

just like in that one pic of the room where your MOC stands in.

Your new site looks very good!

[WesternOutlaw]

Excellent Hinckley! You really did a fantastic job with creating the Smart House in Lego. I esp. like the brown wood exterior sections. The small window design works well. I don't have any suggestions as to how to improve your creation (as it's far better than I could have done with my basic building style).

The more I look at it, the more I like it (like the stairs in the back). Definately a piece of art!

[BlueBard]

Wonderful job! A great design for the roofs, the "wood" walls and the top level, pretty close to the original model

Halas, it's really a pity you have to glue it...

[Freddie]

I have no problem with a permanent display model being glued, since it'll reduce the risk of the expense that's gone into it to vapour into the thin air in case somebody breaks it - I'm thinking of employee's here, but visiting kids would also qualify. They simply won't have the time or the mindset to put it back together in case something happens, since it's easily the most eloberate decoration in the room.

Glue aside, it's an impressive piece of architecture. Very nice indeed.

[Teddy]

Dear Hinckley,

Great stuff.

I really like the combination of all the different techniques you've used.

Must have been quite a puzzle to get it all fit togheter as it does.

The end result is just a stunning replica of the original.

I'm impressed. All round quality work.

Kind regards,

Teddy

[Aliencat]

Awesome, you really captured everything of the original house.

How cool is it to have your MOC of the house sit in the actual house? :D You should make a microscale version of the house and put it in your minifig scale house right where your Lego house is in the real house haha :P

Great job dude.

[Dennimator]

This is just incredible !

I´ve been struggling to build a house like this for months, but have failed every time.

i just this kind of buildings in lego, so this is by far the best LEGO house I´ve ever seen!

Because of that i just have to ask; can you please make instructions (or building hints) for this MOC?

[Captain Green Hair]

That is an excellent rendition of the real thing you made there Hink!

I love all the little details in the house, like the smart (SNOT) corner windows and other different lookouts, so kudos to the Architect as well.

I do think the landscape could use a tree or some brushes to make it look more lively, but i can imagine the client wanted a static model.

I hope you'll get more commissions after this one, you certainly did a great job in a reasonable amount of time!

[I Scream Clone]

Much clearer now, pictures paint a thousand words, especially if I didn't read that it was a straight copy of an existing structure as I tend to look at pics more than text. Yet again an amazing work of art.

Well done, and props to stash for getting all the parts too.

[Ricecracker]

So this is the commissioned piece you were working on? Great job Hinck, I'm really loving the way you did the wood sidings, as well as sideways windows. Brilliant! Your new site also looks beautiful, did you design it?

[Lord Santos]

Now that is simply lovely, a perfect Le Corbusier style building in Lego. Perfection. Thanks for sharing Hinckley!

[Hinckley]

Cheers mate. Very nice model, may this one be the first of many commissioned MOCs to come :)

Oh, I certainly hope so too! Thanks.

A very impressive work! You rendered the original house in a simply splendid way, very well done indeed.

But, if I´m allowed to dream... there should be an interior too. With a microscale version of your MOC in it,

just like in that one pic of the room where your MOC stands in.

Your new site looks very good!

Thanks! I also dream for the interior, but I was on a limited budget. I think I may have to create my own version on a smaller scale for my own layout... I love the idea of the microscale version inside! I should've at least done that!

Excellent Hinckley! You really did a fantastic job with creating the Smart House in Lego. I esp. like the brown wood exterior sections. The small window design works well. I don't have any suggestions as to how to improve your creation (as it's far better than I could have done with my basic building style).

The more I look at it, the more I like it (like the stairs in the back). Definately a piece of art!

Thanks TheBrickster! It was a fun challenge getting everything to work. The small windows were a geometry problem for sure and I did like the way those stairs turned out. Did you notice I had to cut the three pane windows in places? First time gluing, first time cutting...but I will never use megablocks!

I have no problem with a permanent display model being glued, since it'll reduce the risk of the expense that's gone into it to vapour into the thin air in case somebody breaks it - I'm thinking of employee's here, but visiting kids would also qualify. They simply won't have the time or the mindset to put it back together in case something happens, since it's easily the most eloberate decoration in the room.

Glue aside, it's an impressive piece of architecture. Very nice indeed.

That's a good point. Otherwise it would have to sit behind plexi and that would ruin the feel of touring a home. It would feel like a museum and that's what they were concerned about. I am also concerned about the overhang. I didn't have the dimensions of the table before I got there and was afraid it would look silly if it didn't take up enough space. Turns out that wasn't the proper concern.

Dear Hinckley,

Great stuff.

I really like the combination of all the different techniques you've used.

Must have been quite a puzzle to get it all fit togheter as it does.

The end result is just a stunning replica of the original.

I'm impressed. All round quality work.

Kind regards,

Teddy

It was a bit of a geometry puzzle. Even harder is figuring out what order to glue it in so you don't glue the wrong parts first leaving it impossible to put back together or making it impossible to glue certain other parts. My partner, Jocko, tried to help with the gluing and started with just the headlight bricks and wood slats. That was disastrous as he tried to glue the wood slats and 90 degree angles just by sight and it ended up glued crooked. Nothing a rubber mallet wouldn't fix, though.

Awesome, you really captured everything of the original house.

How cool is it to have your MOC of the house sit in the actual house? :D You should make a microscale version of the house and put it in your minifig scale house right where your Lego house is in the real house haha :P

Great job dude.

Hilarious! You and Asuka think very much alike, too. He made the same joke! Thanks for the nice compliments!

This is just incredible !

I´ve been struggling to build a house like this for months, but have failed every time.

i just this kind of buildings in lego, so this is by far the best LEGO house I´ve ever seen!

Because of that i just have to ask; can you please make instructions (or building hints) for this MOC?

I took pics in progress and will definitely post a timeline of my progress on this. Good idea. Thanks.

That is an excellent rendition of the real thing you made there Hink!

I love all the little details in the house, like the smart (SNOT) corner windows and other different lookouts, so kudos to the Architect as well.

I do think the landscape could use a tree or some brushes to make it look more lively, but i can imagine the client wanted a static model.

I hope you'll get more commissions after this one, you certainly did a great job in a reasonable amount of time!

Again, the budget stopped me from making more landscaping although a couple of huge trees would've been cooler than the goofy robots. But, it is supposed to be a 10 year old boy's room, so we didn't want to make the house to overly-detailed. Hell, my first idea was a space city-but that would've been too difficult in the two weeks and at the budget I had to work with. Sourcing the parts through stash2sixx proved a lot easier for the replica of the house since the elements are pretty basic. A space city with robots would've been much more expensive and harder to find parts for. As it was, I ended up pulling a lot from my collection even after getting all the bulk bricks from stash.

So this is the commissioned piece you were working on? Great job Hinck, I'm really loving the way you did the wood sidings, as well as sideways windows. Brilliant! Your new site also looks beautiful, did you design it?

Thank you! And yes, I did design the new site. I'm separating my jackass comics and adulterous soap operas from my professional work to not cause any conflict with potential clients or TLG in case I ever apply for the Certified Builder Program.

Thanks everyone for the nice feedback. It's much appreciated! :sweet:

[Derek]

Hinckley, this is just great. Its probably one of the most realistic buildings done in Lego I've ever seen, it looks just like the original. I love your new site, and wish you good luck with further commissions.

Maybe someday you will design one of the modular buildings for TLC. That would be great!

[benny]

EDIT CGH: Please do not quote entire posts with a lot of pictures to add one sentence, thank you!

Wah!!! Very nice house!!!! Look like the real one!!!!!

[ACCURATEin]

Your work is truly inspiring!

I'm amazed at what you have done with lego.

I hope to build at your level one day!!

[Darth_Legois]

Mostly, professional client and The LEGO group (If I ever apply for the Certified Builder Program) might not care for the murder, adultery and gay characters of Fabuland Housewives or the "your comic taught my kid what a swirly is" of The Whacker and the Walrus.

LOL

Anyways great building looks very nice and modern, Too bad it had to be glued

I love those boards on the side too and just everything fits in and looks exactly like the real thing!

[Stash2Sixx]

Fantastic build Hinck; a beautiful work of art! I knew what you were working on, and had not seen any of it until just now...my jaw really did drop in awe! I don't know what else to say, so I'm going to shut up and go look at those pictures some more!

[Erdbeereis]

Stunning work Hinck!

I really like the new website as well. I wish you the best of luck in future projects!

May I ask what exactly the certified builder program is?

[Ricecracker]

May I ask what exactly the certified builder program is?

I'm sure you may, but that doesn't mean you'll get an answer.

[Klaus-Dieter]

That's an absolutely amazing MOC, Hinckley!

I really it!

With it's totally realistic and exactely copied architecture from the real existing building this your MOC is really a masterwork of art!

The already mentioned ideas of adding some interior to it and perhaps a mini-model of it inside would be a perfect idea!

Some ideas for the interior:

-indoor swimming pool in the seperate, one floor big building

-a mini-model in the entrance

-piano bar, kitchen and living room downstairs

-bedroom, bathroom, children's room and office upstairs

-in the room on the top: hobby room with some mini Lego models

Very, very well done! :thumbup:

Klaus-Dieter

Edited March 28, 2009 by Klaus-Dieter