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LEGO Architecture Studio back in stock!

Just wanted to give a heads-up to those who have been waiting for the restock of the #21050 LEGO Architecture Studio set. The set sold out so fast, and it was out of stock for so long that a lot of LEGO fans feared it was discontinued for good, however now it is back! 🙂

#21050 LEGO Architecture Studio

I did check with my contact at LEGO a month ago, who said that the LEGO Architecture Studio set is still active on their production-list and should be restocked. However even I started to loose faith when it continued showing as out of stock at the Online LEGO Shop. In the meantime the set, originally priced at $150, has been selling in the $250-$300 range on eBay and other market-places as people got desperate and got tired of waiting. 🙁

LEGO Architecture Studio Content

As you may remember from the previous reviews (see links at the end of this post), the LEGO Architecture Studio set is very unique in its approach by catering to teachers and students of architecture and design. It also includes a very special book introducing concepts that architects and designers use in their line of work. However the set is also suitable for enthusiasts of architecture and design, not just professionals. If you are interested to learn more about the set, check out the previous reviews, and also the following video that gives you a good overview of how the LEGO Architecture Studio set looks and works.

If you would like to get the LEGO Architecture Studio set now that it is back in stock, it is available at the Online LEGO Shop. How long it is going to be around this time is not known, but my guess is that people won’t be waiting around this time and will get them right away. There is a limit of 5 sets per household, so if you want to put away a couple of them for investment purposes or for larger building projects (those all white and clear elements are gorgeous!) you might consider that too. Here is the link to get it: BUY LEGO ARCHITECTURE STUDIO

Shop for LEGO Architecture Sets

So what do you think? Are you one of those people who missed the set the first time around and couldn’t wait to see it back in stock? If you have the set already, have you been experimenting with it? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below! 😉

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

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Brick Breakdown: LEGO Minecraft sets

(Written by William)

In this Brick Breakdown series I review official LEGO sets, from the perspective of looking at interesting building techniques we can all learn from. Today we will be looking at the LEGO Minecraft sets. We have talked about the sets before (see: LEGO Minecraft Sets – Reviews & Thoughts and LEGO Minecraft Alternate Models). You can also check out the previously discussed LEGO techniques found in official LEGO sets at the end of this article. So let’s begin! 🙂

LEGO Shopping - LEGO Minecraft

When I first heard about the first LEGO Minecraft set I was immediately intrigued. In fact it got me into playing the Minecraft video-game before the LEGO version was officially released. Many people claim that Minecraft is the video-game version of LEGO, and it is easy to see why; both brands focus on taking rather mundane elements that can be used to make complex designs. The process for doing this is a bit different, but essentially the goal of the game and the toy is to create something you are proud of. Given this premise, it was an interesting experiment when the two concepts met in an actual LEGO set. After building the first LEGO Minecraft set I have to admit that it did incorporate well some very unique techniques and concepts from the game.

LEGO PAN-MODULAR BUILDING

The first of the techniques we will be looking at is what I refer to as pan-modular – meaning that the different elements of the set can be modular in nearly every direction. Let’s start with the underground segments of the LEGO Minecraft sets; each segment represents a square module of building potential. It can be rotated 90, 180, or 270 degrees and still fit into the design. In addition, if you want a deeper section of terrain you can even stack the underground modules on top of one another – essentially making them able to connect and reconnect on six different sides.

#21105 LEGO Minecraft The Village

The top terrain sections are a little less modular when it comes to stacking, but they still have a great deal of modularity. They can also be rotated 90, 180, or 270 degrees, and can also be swapped around to be stacked on other underground modules.

The end result is a set that can be modular exponentially with a simple swap, rotation, or stack of the different sections, which all comes from its cube-shaped design-frame. By treating each part of the model as a self-contained element and allowing for connection-points in the same place, what you end up with is oversized LEGO elements! 😀

#21105 LEGO Minecraft The Village Alternate Picture

Just think about it; a LEGO brick is nothing more than an element that can be moved around and fastened into different places. Each module you build in the LEGO Minecraft set works essentially the same way; they are blocks to be moved around and attached at various ways using connection-points.

BUILT FOR DESTRUCTION

First of all, the LEGO Minecraft sets come with a whole bunch of extra pieces. These are practically begging to be used and incorporated in the setup of the Minecraft terrain. And given the micro-scale of the sets and how the different elements are represented, it is not difficult to add something that looks like it belongs. This is all thanks to having a simplistic design-model. Note how even the figures are nothing more than a printed face on a couple of bricks!

LEGO Minecraft World

When blocks represent entire landscapes or buildings, you can dismiss the need for carefully crafted details to represent real life objects or landscape elements like you would likely do on a larger scale. In addition, when you are not worried about making moving elements like wheels, the ability to design becomes much more straight-forward. Essentially the LEGO Minecraft sets give you the freedom to experiment as found in the Minecraft game itself. As a technique, this reduces any hesitation you may have in taking apart the original models and creating your own remarkable designs.

APPLYING WHAT YOU LEARN

The ultimate goal of the LEGO Minecraft sets is to recreate an experience Minecraft fans have in the video-game. The pan-modularity gives them the random world design of the game as well as the ability to spawn a completely unique world. And the built-for-destruction mindset captures the freedom to create the same way as the game would offer – giving an even playing field for designers. In fact too detailed models won’t even fit into the Minecraft design! So what you end up with is a building experience, rather than a traditional LEGO set that you feel like you need to keep together.

As for using the techniques in other LEGO creations, having a pan-modular design could offer some interesting opportunities. The issue is that for it to work seamlessly, you really need to come up with a basic unit to have everything relate to. This can ultimately be a major restriction by forcing you to consistently stick with that unit of design. If you do plan to use this technique, I recommend starting with a cube – like what the LEGO Minecraft sets use – before challenging yourself with something even more complex.

And when it comes to the building-for-destruction technique, it is better applied as a philosophy in your LEGO creation process. What you want to take from it the most is that your LEGO models should remain a fluid creation that does not need to remain stuck in one shape and form. You and your creations are meant to evolve time and time again. Only by keeping this principle in mind can you achieve improvement in anything you build.

Shop for LEGO Minecraft Sets

So what do you think? How do you like the LEGO Minecraft sets and the techniques we discussed here? Have you applied the unique modular design of the sets in other ways? And did you experiment with the sets to build them up differently? Feel free to share your own experiences, tips or ask questions in the comment section below! 😉

And you might also like to check out the other reviews in this series:

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