This month’s focus has been squarely on completing the first complete draft of the printed version of my LEGO Parts Guide. While I share a lot more details with the many patrons supporting my project on Patreon, I wanted to pull back the curtain for newsletter subscribers and share some of my progress!

I order an updated draft about once a month. This helps track my progress and allows me to experiment with font choices and illustration styles.

Throughout the project, I have been thrilled by advances in print-on-demand technology that allow me to get an updated printed draft every month to review. While digital editing tools are excellent, there’s something about being able to hold a draft of the book in my hands, thumb through the pages, get a feel for how it is coming together, and take copious notes right on the printed pages.

Sample chapter text and illustrations explaining how SNOT pieces work.

In the past month, I have completed drafts of a bunch of chapters and and the illustrations that bring the chapter to life: Wall, Angle, Vehicle, and SNOT. I also have rough versions of the chapters on Minifig and Nature underway. This leaves just four chapters that I haven’t started in earnest.

Sample illustration showing horizontal and vertical offsets of various SNOT pieces.

Support to Learn More

If you are eager to support the project over the finish line, or just want to see a bunch of behind-the-scenes content (and a chance to give feedback), please consider joining 200+ patrons by showing your support on Patreon. In addition to exclusive content, active supporters at the Patron level or higher ($5/month) will be recognized in the printed book when it is available.

Updates for patrons this month:

• Patrons: Feature Idea: Browse parts by Connector Type?
  I took a short break from finishing the remaining chapters of my book to explore a feature idea which could make it a lot easier to see all the parts which each connector type can connect with. I included some screenshots of the prototype feature development too.
• Patrons: Draft Chapter: SNOT
  The best part of this short chapter are zoomed-in images explaining exactly how much various outward-facing studs are offset from the top, bottom or sides of the brick or plate they are attached to.
• Patrons: Feedback Wanted: Stem vs. Mini Bar vs. Mini Pin vs. Hair Pin.
  I shared an early version of an illustration showing the connector pair sometimes referred to as ‘stem’ and othertimes as ‘mini pin’ or ‘mini bar’, and discussed why I chose to refer to it as a ‘stem’ and ‘stem hole’.
• Patrons: Draft Chapter: Vehicle
  The chapter about Vehicle parts include measurement tools for wheel sizes, the smaller ‘wheel pins’, and illustrations showing how train/coaster tracks work.
• Patrons: How searching for the right home led to de-vehicularization…
  I moved a bunch of Vehicle parts into other categories. This article is about my philosophy for when to sort by function (such as vehicle) versus sort by objective attributes like shape.
• Patrons: ‘Angle’ chapter threw me a curve ball…
  Another sample chapter, focusing on Slopes, Wedges, and Wedge Slopes. I found the discrepancies in the slope angles listed on various websites and the real values.
• Patrons: Draft Chapter: Wall
  Chapter offering a closer look at Windows, Doors, and Panels.

New at Brick Architect

One thing that you may have noticed in recent articles is that investments in the online Parts Guide are paying dividends with our other articles/reviews too. That’s because it is so much easier to include easy-to-read part names and numbers when appropriate, with a link to learn more in the parts guide.

• Review: 2025 LEGO Advent Calendars
  Each new holiday period brings new Advent Calendars to build. Let’s explore which of this year’s lineup is a hit … and which may be a miss.
• Review: #40820 Up-Scaled Santa Minifigure
  Pick a promising LEGO set, learn the modular standard, and expand your LEGO city!
• Updated: LEGO Parts Guide
  In addition to work on the printed parts guide, I made several improvements to the online guide:
  • Marked a dozen parts which have not been used in sets since 2020 (or earlier) as ‘Retired’.
    They are still visible in the guide, but are no longer shown in the default view of ‘current’ parts.
  • Standardizing naming of part connection types such as Stem / Stem Hole instead of the confusing ‘Mini Bar’ terminology.
  • Moved many parts from the Vehicle category to more general-purpose locations within the guide.
    Ex: Many nose/curve parts were moved to the Curve category, and a set of simple brackets were moved to Basic.

November 2025 releases for AFOLs

November is a quiet month for new sets, with just two new sets and one of them isn’t available until the middle of the month. Even if you aren’t excited about these two sets, there’s a nice Disney gift-with-purchase available now.

• #21363 The Goonies (LEGO Ideas)
  Revisit this classic 80’s film in a brick-built tribute to the ship featured in the movie. It’s packed with cool details and a ton of minifigures!
  2912 pieces, 12 minifigures, ages 18+, $330, Available now at LEGO.com
• #40773 – The Goonies: The Walshes’ Attic (Gift-with-purchase)
  If you were thinking about purchasing The Goonies set, consider buying it now to get this cute gift with purchase set.
  179 pieces, 2 minifigs, ages 18+, Available now at LEGO.com.
• #40774 Disney Classic Animation Scenes (Gift-with-purchase)
  This brick-built TV has removeable scenes that you change to match your mood.
  270 pieces, 1 minifig (Woody), 1 animal (Simba), ages 9+, $20 value (Free with $130 purchase or more), Available now at LEGO.com.

#21363 The Goonies (LEGO Ideas)

• #10366 Tropical Aquarium (LEGO Icons)
  This set is beautiful but has been shredded in the court of popular opinion for the very high price tag. If you are interested in building it, either get it now with the Gift-with-purchase, or wait for it to be deeply discounted later.
  4154 pieces, ages 18+, $480, Available November 13 at LEGO.com
• #5009823 Fish Tank Filter & Fish Food (Gift-with-purchase)
  This is a small and somewhat unimpressive gift with purchase, but it’s packaging suggests that this will be made in small quantities (and might have been designed at the last minute.)
  177 pieces, ages 10, Available now at LEGO.com.

You can explore all of the new releases by visiting the lego.com store. (Making a purchase using our referral link helps support this website.)

Best articles from around the web

Learn more about the LEGO hobby with this month’s collection of great articles I’ve collected from around the web…

• How LEGO Rebuilt the Toy Itself
  This episode offers a succinct summary of The LEGO Group’s history, from the early days creating wooden toys to modern era of plastic bricks. It’s a good overview before reading or listening to the excellent book The LEGO Story.
  —History This Week Podcast
• The LEGO Dark Arts: Removing Prints from Official LEGO Parts
  This article by Evan Crouch shows how you can remove part of the printing on a LEGO head or torso to create custom decorations. The example where a police officer and sherrif torso are turned into Civil War soliders is especially convincing.
  —BrickNerd
• 10366 Tropical Aquarium: LEGO designer interview with Sven Franic and Matéo Dupureur
  This article explores the upcoming #10366 Tropical Aquarium (LEGO Icons) but with a focus on new parts (moulds) and recolors. Of particular interest was the way that newer moulds allow the same part to be created out of opaque ABS or the new clear MABS plastics.
  —New Elementary

Variations on the new Fin element introduced in this set. (Photo: New Elementary)

• She Built That: LEGO Correcting the Wrong?
  In this article, Tseegi N highlights some of the legitimate wins and big misses in this year’s “She Built That” campaign aimed at inspiring more young female builders.
  —Women’s Brick Initiative
• Auckland Brick Show This article by FlagsNZ features an extensive collection of convention photos featuring the work of 10 builders.
  —Brickset
• ABS Meets Asphalt: A Motorcycle’s LEGO Makeover
  This is different… LEGO artist Jean-Yves has built futuristic side panels for a real 700 cc twin-cylinder motorcycle. For obvious reasons, the brick-built creations needed to be glued since they are permanently attached to a workign motorcycle. I love the Azur color palette used on the final version at the bottom of the article.
  —BrickNerd

Jean-Yves’ motorcycle with brick-built LEGO detailing. (Photo: BrickNerd)

• Review: LEGO 21361 Gremlins: Gizmo
  Beyond a simple set review, Jay Ong included photos swapping heads between 6:1 scale up-scaled LEGO figures and Gizmo. It’s funny, and gives a better sense of scale for the new set.
  —Jay’s Brick Blog
• The Making of The Fellowship – Catching up with Cathedral of Bricks [Interview] I enjoyed the great photos and insights from designer Luke about this massive Tolkien-themed scene.
  —Brothers Brick
• Rogue Ronin: Giant LEGO Japan with Samurai Castle and Snow-Covered Shrines (German)
  This is a beautiful gallery of photos from a gorgeous collaborative build by RogueBricks that is based on feudal Japan.
  —StoneWars

Brick Architect in the News

• LEGO Community Headlines and Highlights for September 2025
  Koen’s article MOC’ing the LEGO Modular Building Standard was featured in this month’s community highlights.
  —BrickNerd