Order of Castle Construction,

J1A3L5 · Post by **J1A3L5** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 5:47 am

Hi All,

I've just been thinking about a castle creation I want to build, and I hope for it to be my first completely enclosed castle. For those of you who have built stuff like this before, I'd like to ask a question:

What order do you build things? Do you get the baseplates out, lay out the the outline, do the landscaping then build up? Or do you build the castle then put it on landscaping afterwards? Or what?

Personally, I'd love to try building from the ground up completely, as it might meld the landscape and castle better, but it seems it would require much more planning to work out, and would be inflexible to changes.

How do you do it?

Thanks in advance!,
-John "J1A3L5" Langrish.

Jojo · Post by **Jojo** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 9:08 am

Hello!

I would do the landscape first. (Well, I did, when I built my last castle (long ago).)

If you wanna be able to transport the whole thing to exhibitions, Brickfests, meetings and the like I also suggest to build it modular. I'd even select the boxes first in which you wanna transport it and adjust the size of the single modules to the size of the boxes.

Bye
Jojo

Post by **SavaTheAggie** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 2:12 pm

I've done it both ways. For Stonebarrow Keep, I built the basement/dungeon first, built the landscaping around it, then built the rest of the keep. For Halcyon version 2, I built the 'hill' the castle would be sitting on first, then built the castle. For Ulmaris, landscaping wasn't an important part of the castle, so I built the castle first, moving from most complex and/or parts intensive to least complex and/or parts intensive.

So really it all depends on what you're planning.

Will your castle be a master planned castle, where the builders took the time to totally manacure the surrounding land and foundation before they began construction? Then I'd start the castle first, as it would be the emphasis of the MOC.

Will your castle be an organic castle, weaving around its landscape, where the builders used the surrounding land to aid in the construction of the castle? Then I'd start with the landscape, and build the castle literally from the ground up.

And as Jojo said, don't forget to design in modularity, if you plan on showing the MOC off. Relying on baseplate geometry for the foundation has really worked well for me, but it'll really depend on just what you're building.

--Anthony

Loneranger · Post by **Loneranger** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 2:58 pm

The way I've learned how to do it with my latest castle (which should be done soon...) Is first drawing out a layout of the castle, measure it so your landscaping doesn't get in the way, and then build the landscape around it. Then you can begin building the castle!

I would also try and draw your landscape along with your castle drawing, just so you have a good idea of what you want.

Hope that helps!

LR

Post by **Robin Hood** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 5:08 pm

It really depends on whether or not you intend to have landscapes at all. If you don't, which may be the case sometimes, then problem solved. If you do, then I would suggest landscaping first. That way, the castle looks like it was actually built on the land. But thats just me, a rather unexperianced castle builder.

Dan

CAI · Post by **CAI** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 5:32 pm

I find building up from the inside out works best for me on my current MOC. Working from the inside out also allows you to add details... if you're looking to add inner details.

Definitely modular, so you can view the details. Lack of room is a major factor for me. Modular is always a good way to go.

Yep, draw what you have in mind, even if your a horrible drawer like me..you don't want to forget the idea that popped to mind.

Cheers.

Gumby · Post by **Gumby** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 7:57 pm

Good question!

I think the "perfect large castle creation" would be built from the ground up - as in, the landscape is already in place. However, you would probably need a lot of planning, especially if you have certain shapes/features/interiors you want to include in your structure(s) to ensure that the terrain won't get in the way.

I think as kids, we start off by building simple castles (with little or no planning). Then the next natural progression is we add landscape. Finally, as we mature (and our collections grow), we build from the ground up!

And don't forget to keep modularity in mind.

LEGOFREAK · Post by **LEGOFREAK** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 8:56 pm

SavaTheAggie wrote: Will your castle be an organic castle, weaving around its landscape, where the builders used the surrounding land to aid in the construction of the castle? Then I'd start with the landscape, and build the castle literally from the ground up.
--Anthony

this is usually what I do when I build a big castle. the most recent time I built a norman style keep the landscaping wasnt important, so I didnt worry about it.. and wound up with no real place to put the castle so it looked wrong

so I will stick with the landscaping first and then the castle second.
Plus in a lot of cases (if not most) I think builders in the middle ages tried to use the lands natural defenses so this is a good way to build in my mind.

Norro · Post by **Norro** » Fri Oct 21, 2005 10:23 pm

I've always been a big advocate of landscape first. Cliffton (see sig) was just a hill and some rockfaces (with the path) before a castle was built on top...

God Bless,

Nathan

DaveOhare01 · Post by **DaveOhare01** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 8:38 pm

When I build large castles, I usually start with what I consider the 'basement' level. I think, no matter how big or small the eventual design, every castle needs something underground.

Since I build a little large, I have several blocks of rooms and then I build landscaping around them.

If you build this way -- it almost always forces you to build modular, as a lot of folks above have pointed out earlier in this thread. The best part a MOC, according to my kids (anyway), is being to play in all of the rooms. So, building it in a modular fashion not only allows you to get the thing through the door -- but to get your hands inside it as well.

Here is a link to the stage by stage construction of the Citadel -- I'll take new pics tonight of the first wall section. Anyway, you can see one way of organizing the eventual creation and how I fit my particular castle together.

Dave

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=141827

stuifzand · Post by **stuifzand** » Wed Oct 26, 2005 7:44 am

It's an eyeopener to me to learn that a lot of people start with landscaping. Maybe I should try that too!

I always start with the gate (and usually stop building there, so I never finish the castle). When building the actual building I mostly start with the roof.

Legomaat · Post by **Legomaat** » Thu Oct 27, 2005 6:17 pm

It depends, of course, which type of landscape you want to create. If it will be a steep rock formation, then I should start with the rock because that is your foundation.
Otherwise, I should build the castle first.
Anyway, landscaping is no option at all for me. My castles are, to put it mildly, a little different..

ottoatm · Post by **ottoatm** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 3:11 am

I agree with Legomaat in that it depends on what you want your castle to include/feature. If you want the castle to be surronded by a serene landscape, or set in a mountain or perched on an island, you have to do the grass and trees and earth first...

Otherwise, just start with the castle, from the ground up.

stuifzand · Post by **stuifzand** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 3:47 pm

why is there a need to do the landscaping first when you put your castle on a rock? If want it to be modular, you can't build it on the rock without having a construction to part it down in modules anyway...

HenrytheV · Post by **HenrytheV** » Fri Oct 28, 2005 3:50 pm

stuifzand wrote:why is there a need to do the landscaping first when you put your castle on a rock? If want it to be modular, you can't build it on the rock without having a construction to part it down in modules anyway...

I guess so that it looks organic.

I build from the ground up, but it takes a lot of green to make a good landscape.