Hugh A̶d̶d̶a̶m̶s̶ Scandrett, the designer behind Addams Family Mansion Modular (aka afol777 on LEGO Ideas) has been chatting to us about his build! Hear all about the journey he's been on in this 10K Club Interview.
And remember to congratulate Hugh in the comments below!
About Yourself
- Where are you from?
I’m from Canada but I live in the US.
- How old are you?
62 years young.
- What do you study or do for a living?
I am a software executive, with a team of engineers who write software that helps owners and managers run their restaurants.
Hugh Scandrett, left, Hasan Jensen (LEGO Ideas Engagement Manager), right, when Hugh visited LEGO House in Billund.
- What hobbies do you have?
LEGO of course, but also glass blowing and woodworking.
- Do you have a personal portfolio website that you can share with us?
Here's a link to my Flickr account.
- How and when did your interest for LEGO come about?
As a child, I had lots of LEGO, and always built many things. That was in the 1960’s. About 5 years ago, a friend sponsored a FIRST LEGO League competition at our work, as a team building activity. About 100 people (ages 20-60) were thrown into a 10 hour, no preparation event, which culminated in a super friendly and inspiring competition and social event. It was awesome, and it rekindled my LEGO brain waves. 4 years ago, I began designing my first Addams Family Mansion which did receive 10K supporters but did not get approved. I am hoping that was primarily due to its 7,000 parts. I rebuilt the Addams Family Mansion in a modular footprint and floor separations and submitted it last year.
- What is your favourite official LEGO set? Why?
Parisian Restaurant, and then all the other modular buildings. The Café was the first modular that my wife and I built, which rekindled the childhood joy of LEGO bricks, got my hands in the mortar again, and began my AFOL journey.
- What is your favourite LEGO element? Why?
For me, LEGO is a pallet of 3-dimensional creativity. No one element, not one part. It is the sum of the parts, and how flexible these little rigid bricks can be when used artfully and thoughtfully.
- Is there a LEGO designer (official LEGO designer or fan designer) who you are inspired by and look up to? Who and why?
Alex de Jong. He created an old TV Muppet Show scene of Statler and Waldorf, which is mind boggling. He sold me full plans and I built it and it can be found here, with 11,000+ parts, the detail is spectacular, well done Alex! I also love the work of Sean Kenney and Chris McVeigh.
- Is there one or more particular LEGO related websites (not official LEGO websites) that you visit often and/or are inspired by?
BrickLink and Brick Owl are my go-to sourcing market places for bricks. Brothers Brick is a great site for MOCs. I also subscribe to Blocks and Brick Journal magazines.
About Your Project
- Where did your interest in this particular model come from?
I loved the 1960’s TV series and wanted to do a building that was big and creepy! The Addams Family Mansion Modular consists of three fully detailed floors that easily separate. The family looks right at home!
- What special challenges did you face creating the model? What was the most difficult part to recreate?
I did the project freehand from looking at several source materials mostly screen captures from the original TV series on DVD, and one fictional sketch of the rear of the mansion (never shown on TV) that I found. I have no LDD file or drawings.
I started by prototyping the greenhouse, portico and the 45-degree front corner of the mansion. Once I had solid designs, I could layout the whole footprint, and determine baseplate needs. Sourcing was one of the toughest parts of this project. Most of the purchases were made through the Brick Owl marketplace for the harder to find parts while some bulk orders came through BrickLink and LEGO Pick a Brick.
- How long did it take to complete the model? Did you finish it fairly quickly, or did it take a long time?
The original version took an elapsed time of 5 months, working several sessions every week. This Modular one was built in about two months. The tricky part was to live within the 3K part limit.
- How did it feel when you reached the magic 10,000 votes and how long did it take?
Awesome! Many of the supporters were 2nd timers, they had voted for the first & larger one, and their comments and encouragement were great!
- Approximately how many LEGO bricks did you use to create your model?
2,975 – I counted to ensure not exceeding 3K limit!
About LEGO Ideas
- Do you have any useful advice about creating a successful LEGO Ideas project?
Just build what you love.
- What is it about the platform that attracts you? What tips would you give to anyone who is thinking about uploading an idea?
It is great to share ideas and builds with others who also like and build LEGO creations.
- Are you already planning further projects?
I have two LEGO Ideas project gathering support: Giza - Exploring the Great Pyramid and Welcome to Who-ville. I have a few other MOCs in design/build, but none to share yet!
- Which upcoming LEGO Ideas set are you looking most forward to?
The Treehouse, it looks awesome!
By
hasanjensen