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

On ‎12‎/‎1‎/‎2015‎ ‎10‎:‎13‎:‎20‎, TheOrcKing said:

The Sitdown by Dave Kaleta

Illinois

Police Station by Felix Greco

LEGO Cafe by adhimass.ratrim

On ‎12‎/‎9‎/‎2015 at 5:34 AM, jonathanwilson said:

Beautifully installed LED lights in Lego 10246 Detective's Office watch video on YouTube

lulu's ice cream shop by Lu Chieh Young

F@KE board game house by Lu Chieh Young

modular-lavender-house-01 by Azur

Lego Modular Amsterdam Canal House by Lu Chieh Young

Made this this morning. I am sure it's been done before but I wanted to try it myself and with only things I had on hand. The only goal was to fit the Haunted House onto the modular footprint without changing the HH. I used 16x32 baseplate and 4 8x16 baseplates so it still opens up. I did not use any new parts so it had an older look and love the differing shades of tiles I was able to find. The last image shows the placement and my original plan. I had to improvise due to colors on hand but wanted to post this in case others wanted to do their own. The black is the HH house, gate, and 2 bushes so you basically have to fill in the rest. I placed it next to PS so the back door was completely unobstructed. Next to GG, FB, and DO would also work.

Edit: forgot to mention, I did have to commit the unholiest of unholy acts and cut a single stud (8A) out of the back left baseplate so it could open up. 9A is not covered with a tile due to the hinge.

As you can see I used green baseplates. I realized at the end I should have used gray due to the inside having an exposed floor. I may go back in and tile the inside floor to make it more modular, but since it will likely never be opened it's not a priority.

http://imgur.com/a/EQ1lX

Edited December 27, 201510 yr by tonysbricks

Winter Post Office by Aliencat!

Paradisa Cafe by Andrew Tate

How's this street scene for starting the new year, huh?

Modular City Street Side by Tavernellos

Irish Pub by Jean Macou

image by Jean Macou

Antique shop & Art gallery by Olímpio Albano

Maybe not as architecturally interesting as the Fire Brigade yet I rather like this fire station in how 'classic' it looks. I mean the colors and simplicity remind me of the old Town stuff in a way. Perhaps a bit too bright to fit in with more realistic designs though. The shop next door is nice too.

mod16_01 by Salvatore

modular medieval warehouse by don leopold

1 by Jean Macou

Moc June 2015 by Jean Macou

Modular Police Station - Edit 3 by Duncan Adkins