The teams of the second annual LEGO Challenge were given a mission: produce a template for a creative city, and translate it into physical form using only little coloured bricks, in under two hours. Architecture practices Farrells, Wilkinson Eyre, Studio Weave and Ordinary Architecture were each joined by a team of students from the RA attRAct programme to help them build their model city.

As in life, the practices’ approaches to planning a tiny brick city varied wildly. Some teams chose to sketch out basic ideas and approaches, others talked for as long as possible, and some just dumped their allotted 15,000 bricks onto the floor and started building a city from the debris. Then, when the doors were opened and the public poured in to “watch”, they soon found that their task was also to manage teams of willing workers to achieve their aesthetic vision – again, much like the real architecture they practice (with perhaps just slightly fewer specialist craftsmen). So, what did they build?

Studio Weave

A young practice known for their innovative work such as the Longest Bench in Littlehampton, Studio Weave created an “ancient city” outside of the confines of their allotted square (bending the rules) which then connected by a monorail into a sprawling modern metropolis.

Ordinary Architecture

The new practice in the competition were Ordinary Architecture, which was founded last year by Charles Holland and Elly Ward, formerly of FAT, who have just completed the House for Essex with Grayson Perry RA. Ordinary Architecture started with the concept of a ruined warehouse that they allowed their helpers to populate with different kinds of creative uses.

Wilkinson Eyre

Headed by Chris Wilkinson RA and Jim Eyre, two-time Stirling Prize winners Wilkinson Eyre, were the other big practice in the competition. Their team, which included architects from across the practice, took inspiration from existing creative areas within London and built a place where the public could add their chosen elements in a kind of organic evolution.

Farrells

The large international practice headed by Sir Terry Farrell, and best known for London’s MI6 building and the KK100 tower in Shenzen, Farrells chose to create organised plots for creative activity to take place and constructed their buildings off-site, which were then added at the last minute to create a glorious whole.

And the winner is…

The judges were the London Festival of Architecture chair Patricia Brown, Senior Reporter from the Architects’ Journal, Laura Mark, the architect and curator of this year’s architecture room at the Summer Exhibition, Ian Ritchie RA, and RA curator Owen Hopkins.

Assessing the processes and the ways that the public were engaged with collaborative design, and watching for creativity and teamwork throughout the challenge, they finally selected Studio Weave (kindly overlooking the team’s slightly flexible approach to the rules). Applauding the practice for thinking outside the box, the judges applauded “the way that they ensured their design with the public was truly collaborative.”

What would you build?

Take the LEGO Challenge! We challenge you to respond to build your ideal city in LEGO – tweet a picture to @architecture_RA with #RALegoChallenge.