Build & Fix contest: the winners

At last the time has come to reveal the most innovative uses of  'Ship Front 12X12X1 1/3' (Design ID 43979), as created by our readers. Our judges Sven Franic and Jonas Kramm had tough decisions to make, so without further ado let's see who their favourites were.

The five equal winners

In no particular order... the five builders each winning 70828 Pop-Up Party Bus and 70841 Benny's Space Squad are...

The Cheese Slicer, by Bas van Houwelingen

Jonas Kramm: “Just perfect. Looks like the piece was moulded for this occasion. I like how you added just the right amount of details to show us the slicer in action and still kept the focus on the seed part.” 

Sven Franic: “Relatable builds are always quick to grab my attention, and I have to agree with the builder, the seed element has the perfect shape for one of the most under-appreciated kitchen utensils. Although NPU is key, the colour choice of two shades of orange for the cheese and rind work wonderfully. The scene is kept simple with the herbs and cutting board giving it just the right amount of context.”

Vladimir - A Cosmonaut's Best Friend, by Steven W. Howard

Sven Franic: “When a build is as stunning as this, it is hard to objectively see Nice Part Usage from the rest of it, but you still managed to firmly stick the N in NPU. Using the underside of the seed part to add texture to the snout, making use of the indent in the piece to create the curvature of the ears, and finally taking advantage of the technic holes to attach the ears at a tricky angle, all show that you really pushed the boundaries of the seed element to its limit.” 

Jonas Kramm: “Spectacular build with lots of details in a different scale. It shows what happens when you get inspired by the seed part and continue building. The hull is still recognizable and used to get a cool texture here.”

Put. The candle. Back. By Khmaralite

Sven Franic: “Incorporating a large element into a play function shows great creativity. The use of the part’s indent is perfect for the fireplace and you managed to make a sensible alternative scene despite the unforgiving anti-stud surface of the element’s opposite side. The hidden door theme reminds me of the lost art of children’s imagination. I think the idea would be well received in an official set once you figure out a way to spare the poor floor tiles from surface wear.” 

Jonas Kramm: “I love the completely different take here as the piece is not only used for its shape, but also because it’s sturdy and perfect for such a play feature. Really clever way to benefit from the intake on the upper side and the slope on the bottom side of the seed part.”

Tools Of The Trade, by Inthert

Jonas Kramm: “A fine idea that maybe would have benefitted more from a smoother look of the tools. The use of the seed part is creative and I especially like the integration of a story here.” 

Sven Franic: “Translating strange shapes from outer space into relatable every-day items can be tricky, but adjusting the scale of the build can make the task more feasible. I like how the building style is consistent with the exposed studs, reminiscent of the models you might see at Legoland parks. The shape of the seed part was just subtly changed using wedge plates, allowing the part to proudly stand exposed. The snail was a great touch to liven up the scene and add some humour.”

What do you mean? Space wants its BUSH back? By Ralf Langer

Jonas Kramm: “Great build and I like how the mosaic fits into the cut-out of the piece. But the seed part has not much influence on the build as all the other details are stealing the show.” 

Sven Franic: “The shape of the seed element seems perfect for the gothic architecture style, and it is great to see a single element inspire the whole scene. You managed to make the crude space hull look at home with a building style of very fine detail. The back of the element serves as a convenient transition to the roof behind it, and I like how the crown of the lancet window adds the illusion of curvature and depth to the seed element.”

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Honourable mentions

It was so tough to judge this contest as it was jam-packed with awesome, clever and inspiring ideas. Thank you to everyone who entered, I hope you enjoyed it! If you haven't taken a look at every single one of the 53 entries, we recommend you do.

Here are some of the judges' other favourites that didn't quite make it, plus a few I loved. Sadly we don't have any runner-up prizes but we wanted to show these ones again.

Country Drive, by Christian

“Simple but effective idea. I like how it’s kept as basic as possible and truly to the pure shape of the mould. Building in microscale with such a large seed element is a brave choice, but no points for bravery alone. Getting the visual message across in a minimalistic building style is a masterful skill. I would have appreciated more play with perspective, but that is not easily achievable in digital form.”

Communications Relay Tycho, by Duncan Lindbo

"The seed part is very well integrated into the build and I especially like how the gaps get used to achieve an interesting structure. Also the slope on the underside of the hull gets utilized perfectly."

Hera Customs Official, by Oscar Cederwall (o0ger)

"A cool spaceship that makes good use of the seed part. I like the colour blocking as it allows the grey piece to be used in a colourful build. Really clever use of slopes to match the slope on the underside of the particular element."

Honored Adventurer, by Big Stannis

"The tubing on the bottom of the seed part makes an interesting texture that’s made to good use."

Don't make me clamp you! By Duncan Lindbo

"A clever utilisation of the raised sections on the underside of the seed part."

Inground Pool, by PaulvilleMOCs

"A simple way to build a sunken area, making use of the seed part's indentation."

Forge of Shibbfrun, by TXJ

"Another great use of the indentation, beautifully presented and very inventive."

Sea Cave Monastery, by Elemental_Lego

"The seed part has clearly inspired the whole scene, and the clever details do not detract from its presence in the model. Spectacular presentation."

S1-1P F70NT by TXJ

"It is said that any LEGO part is a spaceship part, but it seems any spaceship part can be a face part! Clever use of the geometry and connections of the seed part to make this wacky character."

S.S. James Cameron, by Steven W. Howard

"Good to see the spaceship hull being put to different uses on a spaceship... and what a beauty!"

Retired, by Eli Willsea

"A few builders were inspired by the seed part's shape to create a door and a building around it and they were all great, this one in particular showed charm, simplicity and atmosphere."

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Prizes mentioned in this post are kindly supplied by the LEGO Group. All content represents the opinions of New Elementary authors and not the LEGO Group. All text © New Elementary. Images © of the entrants.