Inspired after reading siddji's topic of Best Site for MOC Modular step by step creations?, I thought it would be a good idea to have a topic listing some great resources to not only help anyone wanting to design their own modular style houses but also inspire a few ideas as well. Anyway, I came across this simple guide from Eurobricks listing the basics of how to generally get started.

How-To: Modular Buildings
by Aliencat

We regularly see each other at meetings and bring along a construction or two of our own. An ideal standard for combining buildings is the so-called Café Corner Modular Standard (or CCMS for short). Now if you don't own a Cafe Corner, Green Grocer, etcetera, how do you know what rules to follow when making your building fit in with the rest? I will describe the CCMS as applied in Lego's sets and as applied by many fans. There are basically two types of building in this standard.

1. Straight sections

Generally speaking every baseplate is 32 studs deep. The width is variable with straight buildings, always being a multiple of 8 studs. A common used width is 16 studs wide. The connection points, pavement, walls, etcetera, will then have the following sizes:

Whether your building is 8 or 64 studs wide, the sizes in depth are always the same. That way the Technic bricks with a hole will always align and allow for the buildings to be attached to one another through the use of Technic pins.

2. Corner buildings

In the case of a corner building, you are dealing with two connecting points at a 90 degree angle of each other. Therefore, your baseplate will always have to be 32 x 32 studs. Of course you can make the full building larger by attaching straight buildings forming a continuous whole at either side but the corner module must be 32 x 32:

3. Variation in depth sizes

If you look at a real-life (old) street, you will see that not all buildings align in a perfectly straight line: some jut out a bit while others fall a little further back. If you put a number of CCMS buildings in a row, this method of alignment will give you the best result. As long as you leave the Technic bricks in the right position for connecting, you're free to place your front and back wall at will. This might result in something like this:

Keep the variation in mind, because of your side wall. In some cases, part of your side wall will be visible. So if you were planning to omit your side wall, or make one out of all the colors you won't be needing for the front and back walls, make sure that at least the edge of the side wall that juts out is made of a color that fits with the rest of the building.

I myself always build an entire side wall if I know the building is going to end up in a combined layout with other builders because you don't quite know what will end up next to you. For all you know you might end up next to a construction side, leaving your side wall entirely exposed.

4. Height

The last point I wish to address is height. In terms of height, you are basically free to do whatever you want. Make it as tall or as low as you wish. One floor 6 bricks high, eight floors 12 bricks high each, everything is possible. Do keep in mind though, that if you're making a very tall building, your side walls will definitely be visible. So make it into something exciting featuring windows or something, so it's not just one boring, flat wall. Do take care that you won't have anything protruding over the edges, since you may not know how high the building next to yours might be.

Variation in height is another reason to build side walls in a matching color when your creation will end up in a combined layout: the building next to yours might be very low and you won't know ahead of time.

Resources:

• Eurobricks
• Brickhamster

Release this set in my country or in germany, and it will be a success.

This is the same kind of house we have in north-east (region Alsace).

Holy cow, you aren't kidding. Incredible resemblance.

Eurobricks

>Villa Maison [box Artwork] by marcosbessa, on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcosbessa/sets/72157626377661781/

I managed to find a couple of Castle builds constructed as modular houses that will fit right in with the system for your city.

 

Modular Building styled Castle

Castle Concert Hall

A rather colorfully beautiful street scene filled with many Friends style modular buildings built by the lovely talented, Kristel. You can see all the individual houses in her Flickr gallery and download the instructions for each on her site.

 

>Friends Modular Street by kjw010, on Flickr

>Friends Modular Street by kjw010, on Flickr

>Friends Modular Street by kjw010, on Flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kjw010/sets/72157634019582348/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kjw010/sets/72157635208645396/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kjw010/sets/72157644767716550/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kjw010/sets/72157644767716580/

Here by L@GO is basically a modularized minifigure scale version of the unique set given away at each store opening. Even though the base design was a straight section and this is a corner unit, I think he did a great job regardless and it looks better like this in a way as you can see more of the store from the outside. The mini-builds reminiscent of the ones found in those advent calendars work great here and the Pick-a-Brick wall is spot-on same as everything else.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/legolago/sets/72157645103720918/

These designs are killer. The Friends city was really colorful and well built. I'm a sucker for cityscapes.

Here by L@GO is basically a modularized minifigure scale version of the unique set given away at each store opening. Even though the base design was a straight section and this is a corner unit, I think he did a great job regardless and it looks better like this in a way as you can see more of the store from the outside. The mini-builds reminiscent of the ones found in those advent calendars work great here and the Pick-a-Brick wall is spot-on same as everything else.

 

That's awesome!

Baby Blue House by Paostmo

http://www.flickr.com/photos/71885675@N03/sets/72157632179077300/

De Luca's Menswear by snaillad

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52656812@N04/sets/72157644901364201/

Bricklyn Borough Courthouse by sonicstarlight

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26864031@N00/sets/72157629383252705/

This next feature may not be the most impressive modular design. However, it is one of the few I have seen where someone tackled the concept for trying to design a modular house in a 8x32 space. You heard right, it is only eight studs wide! Just in case before someone asks, there really was a baseplate officially released from Lego which measures 8x32 in green.

 

Modular Apartment by L@GO

http://www.flickr.com/photos/legolago/sets/72157626531752545/

Now if the above wasn't up your alley then feast your eyes on this row of mainly 8-stud wide buildings with the exception of a single 6 wide abode. Very fancy I should say but none feature an interior whatsoever. The instructions are available for purchase on the builder's website.

 

Brickstreet

Adding to the above, it would seem that 8-wide buildings are actually a thing. Who knew? Turns out in real life there are structures called a spite house (aka 'skinny house' in a couple cases). The dimensions of those vary unlike the modular house standards in Lego, of course, but the general idea is the same about one building of an odd shape looking out of place from everything else around it as if to 'spite' them. Anyway, I found a bunch more 8-wide modular builds. Most are real while a couple done digital but all interesting one way another.

 

Spite House by Carbohydrates

8-wide modular house by slovakiasteph

Eight-wide modular building by Frederik Hedenskog

A MOC of 19W 46th St New York, NY by RTN LNA

Eight wide modular house by Dean Moody

I'm starting to see the allure of these tiny cots. I believe I have at least two 8x32 baseplates in green somewhere. All they need is a good thorough cleaning and a design worthy to be built upon them. Now these last two are not single 8-wide structures but they are oddly shaped with one building being 20 stud wide and the other 12 wide.

 

brown and grey modular buildings by alex54

Canal Street Houses by Brick City Depot

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58481341@N06/sets/72157629412437839/

Well I believe that is it for 'spite houses' and odd shaped modulars in general. I honestly can't think or find anything else similar at this point. Until next time!

I just finished building the Corner Cafe with my daughter and saw this model on the back of the box and then again at the end of the instructions. Definitely piqued my interest and after a quick search I was led right back here. : )

 

Thanks for posting the links, should be helpful if I give it a shot!

Colony Hotel, Miami, FL by Daniel Siskind

Colony Hotel at Night by Daniel Siskind

The Colony Hotel kind of reminded me of the one from "Scarface".  I did find this too...

 

Well, this is interesting.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cimddwc/sets/72157648072638436/

Matt's Masks by cimddwc

Very nicely done. Perhaps the windows on the first floor are a bit too much, but in general very nice build imo! 

Well, this is interesting.

Matt's Masks by cimddwc

 

 

Great idea and just another reason for others to purchase the Simpsons house.

 

Love the mask idea for this time of year.

>The West Eagle Grand Hotel by eyescream54

a lot of interesting techniques, but me no like. polls on first 2 floors don't work and weird angles on the third. I may not like but i'm sure the builder loves it.

I found another 'spite house' modular plus a nice full-sized one both by SunnyNightFever.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sunnynightfever/sets/72157648630461939/

Jewelry Modular House

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sunnynightfever/sets/72157648708842889/

Flower Shop Modular House

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80218546@N03/sets/72157645984399774/

The Red Brick Pizza Oven - The Laundry Room

http://www.flickr.com/photos/80218546@N03/sets/72157645574538168/

The Red Brick Pizza Oven - restaurant

http://www.flickr.com/photos/moclug/sets/72157618924468833/

Flo's Diner by MOClug