If one factor alone was responsible for us becoming architects, it was probably Legos. And as fascinating as the plastic bricks are, they’re not what captivate us these days. As professional architects now, looking back, it’s the Lego instructions that we find so brilliant. Needless to say, the Danes were very clever with their color-coded, three-dimensional, blocky instruction booklets. Because the graphic instructions were crafted in such a clear, understandable method – words and explanations weren’t needed. This allowed the instruction booklets to accompany the sets practically anywhere in the world. It allowed the instructions to guide both children and adults in assembling the sets.
When the circumstances are right, we like to bring the graphic language of Legos into our architectural drawings. We’re currently working on a project that is a good fit for just such a graphic language. The “Listening Circle” is a simple wood framed shelter for the Seattle Youth Garden Works here in Seattle. Because the project will be constructed by a group of unknown volunteers, a step by step instruction booklet is very advantageous. While architectural drawings typically don’t address means and methods, in this situation step by step instructions with a roster of the required parts and assemblies could be very helpful. So we brushed up on our Lego language skills and thought you might get a kick out of the instructions booklet. We’ll be following up with the construction process and finished product in a later post.
