flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Chicago museum opens LEGO architecture model exhibit

Building Tech

Chicago museum opens LEGO architecture model exhibit

Structures like Fallingwater and the Burj Khalifa can be seen at Brick by Brick at the Museum of Science and Industry.


By Mike Chamernik, Associate Editor | March 18, 2016
Chicago museum opens LEGO architecture model exhibit

All photos: J.B. Spector/Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago. Click each image to enlarge

Even the toy block version of the Golden Gate Bridge is pretty big. Adam Reed Tucker, a LEGO Certified Professional, created 13 LEGO models for the Brick by Brick exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. 

The exhibit, which features the St. Louis Gateway Arch, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, and the Burj Khalifa, houses a 60-foot model of the landmark San Francisco Bay suspension bridge. 

Tucker’s models contain up to 64,000 bricks and took hundreds of hours to build.

“As I design and build, I gain a greater appreciation for the structure I am working on and try to capture the essence of the building in its sculptural form,” Tucker said in a statement. “My hope is that people looking at my work will also appreciate and learn about each architectural wonder and the creativity and imagination that’s possible with the LEGO brick.”

In addition to gawking at a miniature Roman Colosseum, guests can interact with the exhibit by building and testing structures against earthquake and wind simulations.

Also, some legit architecure firms, including Adjaye Associates, SOM, and Kengo Kuma, constructed their own futuristic LEGO models that respond to predicted challenges that cities will face.

The exhibit is open through February 2017.

 

The Roman Colosseum

Fallingwater

Burj Khalifa

Related Stories

Building Technology | Jun 18, 2024

Could ‘smart’ building facades heat and cool buildings?

A promising research project looks at the possibilities for thermoelectric systems to thermally condition buildings, writes Mahsa Farid Mohajer, Sustainable Building Analyst with Stantec.

Concrete Technology | Jun 17, 2024

MIT researchers are working on a way to use concrete as an electric battery

Researchers at MIT have developed a concrete mixture that can store electrical energy. The researchers say the mixture of water, cement, and carbon black could be used for building foundations and street paving.

Contractors | Jun 4, 2024

Contractors expect to spend more time on prefabrication, according to FMI study

Get ready for a surge in prefabrication activity by contractors. FMI, the consulting and investment banking firm, recently polled contractors about how much time they were spending, in craft labor hours, on prefabrication for construction projects. More than 250 contractors participated in the survey, and the average response to that question was 18%. More revealing, however, was the participants’ anticipation that craft hours dedicated to prefab would essentially double, to 34%, within the next five years.

MFPRO+ New Projects | May 29, 2024

Two San Francisco multifamily high rises install onsite water recycling systems

Two high-rise apartment buildings in San Francisco have installed onsite water recycling systems that will reuse a total of 3.9 million gallons of wastewater annually. The recycled water will be used for toilet flushing, cooling towers, and landscape irrigation to significantly reduce water usage in both buildings.

HVAC | May 28, 2024

Department of Energy unveils resources for deploying heat pumps in commercial buildings

To accelerate adoption of heat pump technology in commercial buildings, the U.S. Department of Energy is offering resources and guidance for stakeholders. DOE aims to help commercial building owners and operators reduce greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs by increasing the adoption of existing and emerging heat pump technologies. 

Building Tech | May 21, 2024

In a world first, load-bearing concrete walls built with a 3D printer

A Germany-based construction engineering company says it has constructed the world’s first load-bearing concrete walls built with a 3D printer. Züblin built a new warehouse from a single 3D print for Strabag Baumaschinentechnik International in Stuttgart, Germany using a Putzmeister 3D printer. 

Codes and Standards | Apr 30, 2024

Updated document details methods of testing fenestration for exterior walls

The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) updated a document serving a recommended practice for determining test methodology for laboratory and field testing of exterior wall systems. The document pertains to products covered by an AAMA standard such as curtain walls, storefronts, window walls, and sloped glazing. AAMA 501-24, Methods of Test for Exterior Walls was last updated in 2015. 

BIM and Information Technology | Mar 11, 2024

BIM at LOD400: Why Level of Development 400 matters for design and virtual construction

As construction projects grow more complex, producing a building information model at Level of Development 400 (LOD400) can accelerate schedules, increase savings, and reduce risk, writes Stephen E. Blumenbaum, PE, SE, Walter P Moore's Director of Construction Engineering.

AEC Innovators | Feb 28, 2024

How Suffolk Construction identifies ConTech and PropTech startups for investment, adoption 

Contractor giant Suffolk Construction has invested in 27 ConTech and PropTech companies since 2019 through its Suffolk Technologies venture capital firm. Parker Mundt, Suffolk Technologies’ Vice President–Platforms, recently spoke with Building Design+Construction about his company’s investment strategy. 

MFPRO+ Special Reports | Feb 22, 2024

Crystal Lagoons: A deep dive into real estate's most extreme guest amenity

These year-round, manmade, crystal clear blue lagoons offer a groundbreaking technology with immense potential to redefine the concept of water amenities. However, navigating regulatory challenges and ensuring long-term sustainability are crucial to success with Crystal Lagoons.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category



Contractors

Contractors expect to spend more time on prefabrication, according to FMI study

Get ready for a surge in prefabrication activity by contractors. FMI, the consulting and investment banking firm, recently polled contractors about how much time they were spending, in craft labor hours, on prefabrication for construction projects. More than 250 contractors participated in the survey, and the average response to that question was 18%. More revealing, however, was the participants’ anticipation that craft hours dedicated to prefab would essentially double, to 34%, within the next five years.


halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021