AUBURN, Ala. — What began as a freshman’s creative idea has grown into a large-scale, detailed Lego model of Auburn University’s campus.

Jack Lawson, a senior in industrial systems engineering, first designed a small Lego skyline of Auburn’s iconic landmarks in 2023, drawing inspiration from the Lego Architecture Skylines series.

The small-scale model sparked a larger vision.

“There were so many buildings that I didn’t get to include on the small model because of its scale. I wanted to build all of campus. And that’s how it got started,” Lawson said.

Lawson began designing a full Lego replica of Auburn’s campus during his freshman year. More than two years later, the build has become a reality.

About the Model

The campus Lego model uses 16 baseplates and 22,700 Lego pieces to represent approximately 160 acres of Auburn’s main campus between South College Street, Magnolia Avenue and Donahue Drive. Roughly 80 buildings appear in the model.

During the design process, Lawson began to see Auburn’s unique architectural style from a new perspective.

“Campus is beautifully crafted. As I was working on each structure, I saw how much thought and detail went into every building at Auburn,” he said.

While some structures were easy to design, others proved especially difficult to recreate using Lego pieces.

“The Haley Center was easy because of the four square quadrants, but the Melton Student Center and Ralph Brown Draughon Library were challenging due to their asymmetric designs and curved walls,” he said.

As Lawson expanded the model, the scope quickly grew beyond what he could manage alone.

“The model got so big that I could, one, never afford it, and two, never have room for it,” he said.

Lawson turned to Student Affairs in search of a collaborator to help bring the model to life. Taylor Dyleski, assistant director of Student Affairs Facilities and Operations, helped Lawson pitch the idea, secure funding and collaborate with the University Program Council (UPC) to transform the model into a campuswide experience.

Lego Night

Lawson’s campus model was featured at Lego Night on April 13, an annual event hosted by UPC, which drew nearly 250 students to the Melton Student Center to help place the final bricks onto the model.

In exchange for assembling a campus building, attendees received a small Lego giveaway of an iconic campus element—the Auburn brick sign, Samford Hall, a rolled oak tree or an eagle—also designed by Lawson.

Lawson hopes the event inspired students to engage more deeply with their surroundings and take advantage of opportunities at Auburn.

“Just take a minute and stop and look around,” he said. “Don’t just go to class. Enjoy campus and pay attention to everything that’s there.”

Lawson said Student Affairs’ support helped bring his idea to life, and it demonstrated how much Auburn truly supports its students.

“I can't believe this happened. Auburn is such a generous school. If you have a dream or crazy project, you should go for it. The worst they can say is no. I'm shocked they didn't say no, but they didn't, and now we have this great thing.”

“Even if you have this crazy, random idea, Auburn's there to support you. And I think that's really important for everyone right now.”

View the Model

To view the campus Lego model, visit the Melton Student Center second-floor lobby. The model will be on view during the student center's regular operating hours, including throughout A-Day weekend. View photos from Lego Night on April 13.