This next custom Playwell Bricks set is very special. The client came to Playwell because his daughter was getting married over the summer to someone they’ve come to really love. The fiancée, he explained, was a big brick builder with an incredible collection of large, complicated sets. So when this father-in-law-to-be wanted a gift that would ‘be a real knockout,’ he realized that a custom set of the venue all set up for the wedding would be a set this couple could both treasure.

Working from photos the client sent of the wedding venue, Playwell Bricks designer Eric Dubois Yang tackled this extensive project.

“The sheer size of the base, paired with the angled orientation of some of the houses, proved to be a great challenge when it came to controlling the budget and making sure everything was modular and easy to build,” Eric explains. “It took me one and a half months of full-time designing to finish it!”

Whenever he approached a complicated section, the client was happy to send more pictures to help Eric get it right. Naturally, some sections were more important than others. The wedding tent and the chuppah were among those, requiring fabric that didn’t quite behave in the same draping manner in miniature as it does in real life. However, determination, experimentation, and skill got the job done.

Eric says that he’s especially proud of “the windmill and the tent, as they each represent some small aesthetic challenges that were solved with pretty nice solutions. The walls of the windmill were requested to be slightly sloped. To make this happen and minimize the gaps, the walls were hinged upside down with a bar connection, while the top (that is now the bottom) has a finishing that uses 1x2x1 panels to hide the studs of the base when it’s in its place.

“As to the tent, since accessing the internal details is a priority, the frame of the tent had to be removable, light, simple, robust and easy to align. I do love the finishing effect with the fabric and the vines. It’s my favorite part of the build.”

Of course, a set this size isn’t just about bricks, as there are the build instructions to consider as well. Playwell Bricks team member Paul Lavallee took care to break the build up into reasonable sections, yet the instructions were over a thousand pages long. Definitely not a beginner set, but this one was designed for an experienced brick fan, after all.

If you’re interested in commissioning a custom Playwell Bricks set, Playwell does specialize in custom design for corporate production. Our team of designers works with your branding and budget to help you build well, brand well, and gift well, with Playwell. Contact us and schedule your discovery call today.