COMMISSIONED WORK

From 2016 to December 2018 I took on a range of commissioned LEGO projects for various clients. I am now employed full-time as a professional product designer and can no longer take on further commissions, but the gallery below showcases some of these commissioned creations. ​ The experience allowed me to work in a range of genres that I might not otherwise have ventured into, such as architecture and trains, and the work varied from small minifigure-scale vehicles to very large ten- and twenty-thousand piece builds. ​ Regards, Adrian Barbour BrickMonkey MOCs

Noble Discoverer

In July of 2014 I joined three other Christchurch builders in Auckland for a week-long project recreating the Noble Discoverer in bricks for Greenpeace NZ as part of their campaign against Shell's plans to drill in the Arctic. Our bricks were supplied by Habitat for Humanity, and we began by sorting through thousands of pieces for suitable parts and colors. We then worked from online photos and blueprints to accurately capture the proportions and details of the real ship. ​ The completed 2.3m long model splits in the center for transport, and contains an unusually high proportion of brown frogs. A time-lapse video of the build can be seen here.

Photographs and time-lapse video by Anthony Bradley

Racetrack Footbridge

In March of 2016 I was contacted by a slot car track builder who requested a LEGO footbridge design crossing from a raised wall to the opposite side of his track. Provided were detailed photographs of the track, with LEGO parts and a tape measure for scale, and a reference image for the kind of design he had in mind. After confirming a cost for the project and an initial draft design, the client was provided with PDF LPub4 building instructions for the final design shown here (which would include flex tubing along the outside of the spiral staircase). The client is also aiming to create a pitlane based on my Tiny Turbo Pitlane design, and received LDraw instructions for this model.

"I originally reached out to BrickMonkey after I saw one of his designs. He was very open to assisting me with my project and communicated very efficiently during the entire process. I would highly recommend his work to anyone looking for assistance with bringing anything to life with bricks!" - Racetrack Footbridge client, May 2016

Shelby Cobra (Biczzz)

In July of 2016 I was asked to reverse engineer the Shelby Cobra design of builder Ricardo Prates (Biczzz). With nothing more to go on than the original builder's Flickr photoset, this was an interesting challenge. ​ With Ricardo's permission I accepted the project, and was able to recreate this classic car for the client, while also incorporating a few adjustments and improvements of my own. ​ The image has been obscured at the client's request, so as to maintain the exclusivity of the model. It is being built in red with white stripes, chrome trim, and tan seats.

Polish PL-01 Stealth Tank

In August of 2016 I was asked to produce a LEGO version of the Polish PL-01 Light Tank. The client requested as features working tracks with full suspension on all wheels, opening hatches, and a fully rotating main turret with adjustable elevation on the main cannon. ​ The final model includes all of these features, and in addition to the crew of three, also fits four troops in the rear compartment, accessible through an opening ramp at the rear. ​ The driver sits in the front next to the engine, while the gunner and commander are seated centrally and rotate with the turret.

BlueBrixx Manhattan Project

In January of 2017 I was contacted by the founder of BlueBrixx to design a microscale recreation of Lower Manhattan. The final model consists of 17 individual models, together composed of some 20,000 parts. ​ The design was aided by the use of Google Maps 3D and street views, moving street by street to represent each individual building. Building heights are all to scale, and a lot of complex geometry was used to capture the off-grid orientation of certain roads and buildings. This model took a month and a half to complete.

BlueBrixx WW2 Tanks & Armour

From March of 2017 I continued my collaboration with BlueBrixx to produce a full product line of World War II tanks and armour. As of January 2018, a total of 14 US and German models have been designed. ​ Each model required significant research so as to accurately represent both external shaping and internal structure. All designs feature a detailed interior and engine, and are designed to be compatible with LEGO minifigures. ​ These models are to be produced as kitsets, built from high quality non-Lego clone parts. Check out the BlueBrixx website to see the range of currently available products.

Airbus A320-200 & ATR 42 Aircraft

In October 2017 I designed this minifigure-scale rendition of an Airbus A320 airliner. The model measures 94 by 96 studs (74x72cm) and contains around 2300 parts. ​ The design has a detachable cockpit cover and two removable roof sections for internal access, and contains seating for up to 28 passengers. It also features retractable undercarriage and four opening cabin doors. ​ In April 2018 I designed another aircraft for the same client - this time an ATR 42. Though smaller than the Airbus, achieving the same detail and functions in a smaller space proved challenging. Also provided were designs for three support vehicles: a Mercedes Econic fuel truck, a Goldhofer AST-1X tow vehicle, and a stair bridge.

"Thanks so much for your master skills on this entire build - I am marvelling at how really technically advanced your building skills are, and at the fact that the retractable and movable details are so terrific." ​ - Airbus A320 client, December 2017

XA-20 Razorback

In December 2017 I was asked to produce a minifigure-scale LEGO model of the fictional XA-20 Razorback strike fighter from Tom Clancy's EndWar and HAWX video games. ​ The design features an opening canopy and detailed cockpit, retractable undercarriage, opening weapons bays, wing-mounted weapons, hinged flaperon control surfaces, and detailed internal engines. ​ This model took two and half weeks to design, measures 50 by 44 studs (40x35cm), and contains around 950 parts.

Mini-Golf Architectural Models

From January to February 2018 I worked on three large-scale architectural builds intended for use as portable obstacles on a mini-golf course. Requested were a windmill, a lighthouse, and a medieval castle. ​ These are some of the largest models I've designed to date, and contain 7,400 pieces, 6,800 pieces, and 10,250 pieces respectively. ​ The lighthouse was my first introduction to the intricacies of brick-built rock terrain, and while lacking interiors, all three models required considerable interior structure to support their size and weight.

Boeing C-17 Globemaster III