Lego(R) Modular Building Standards

Lego Modular Building were first introduced into the Lego product line in 2007 with the release of 'Café Corner' - the first Modular Building set created to address demand within the 'Adult' Lego community. Although still a great model in its own right, Café Corner was comparatively simple by comparison with modern Modular sets. In particular, although the external detail was good, there was nothing in the way of internal detail.

However, this set established the basic principles of the Modular Building range and in particular, it laid down the standards that all modular building need to adhere to in order to function as a 'modular' city. These 'standards' are not especially stringent but they place specific constraints on the basic layout of Modular building to ensure that they can all be neatly linked together and form a harmonious street frontage. It also established the idea of separatable storeys so each floor of a modular building can be easily separated from the other floors without the need to partially dismantle the complete model.

In terms of general layout, modular building standards allow for two main 'types' of building. Corner buildings and in-line buildings. All modular buildings have a maximum depth of 32 studs. Convention also suggests that the width of a modular building should be a multiple of 16 studs (Official Lego sets have been released and sold with 16, 32 and 48 studs), however there is flexibility here, as the building width doesn't really impact on any other buildings whereas the depth would.

Most modular buildings are in-line sets and this means that in order to be joined together successfully, there must be a connecting brick 9 studs from the front and 9 studs from the back on both sides. For corner buildings, the joining studs are obviously on adjacent sides of the build plate but again, they are 9 blocks from front and back.

These 9 blocks at the front and back represent space for the street frontage and garden/yard/utility space behind. There is no requirements for all modular houses to line up perfectly at the front or back (anymore than is the case in the real world), so you are largely free to use the front and back space as you wish. However, with regard to the front space in particular, the joy of Modular Buildings is to create detailed, vibrant street scenes so some pavement space is essential really!

Additionally, there are a few 'unofficial' conventions that you can see in the existing Lego sets which demand a certain amount of 'pavement' space to implement if the building is to fit in with the other modulars in the street. Firstly, there is usually a 'kerb' along the front edge (or edges for corner builds). This is basically a one stud wide 'light bluish grey' strip with a drain piece every 16 studs or thereabouts. Additionally, a street light is generally placed 1 studs from the front edge at a frequency of about one every 32 studs.

Aside from these conventions, you are pretty much free to do as you wish with this space. Normal modular paving is 2x2 tiles in 'Dark Bluish Grey', but for specific models this does get adjusted. In the Café Corner set for example, the café seating area on the street is a black and white 1x1 tiled area and there is a decorative paved area by the front door of the hotel.

The scale of the Modular Buildings is somewhat ambiguously stated as 'Mini-figure' size; the residents of your Lego street are assumed to be standard Lego minifigures and so the buildings should be sized accordingly. However there is no restriction on building height or even 'storey' height - beyond basic aesthetics. A Lego model of the Burj Khalifa at Mini-figure scale is unlikely to fit harmoniously with the other buildings (aside from the practical issues with fitting such a model in your home!).

The final thing to consider is the more general aesthetic appeal. The 'official' Lego modulars are all highly detailed models with lots of unusual and interesting building techniques. This makes for some interesting street scenes when different models are combined.

One of the services we offer is to turn your house into a Lego modular so you can place your own home in the middle of your Modular street scene. Whilst it is perfectly possible to put a modern style house into your modular street, some artistic license might be helpful to provide enough detail for the house to 'blend in' with the other modulars.

In conclusion, Lego Modular buildings continue to be a popular, and innovative product line for Lego that combines amazingly detailed models with a high degree of playability. By following some very simple and basic standards, it is perfectly possible to build your own models that fit into the street scene seamlessly, making for a very personalized street.

If you are interested in our Modular Building Design service, then visit our Modular Building page.

Jonathan Dean