Nov 15 2005
Nathaniel Macmillan, 14, from Novato, California, built his way to a $5,000 Grand Prize scholarship today and nabbed the championship title of official LEGO(R) Preservation Architect. Macmillan competed in the "LEGO Brick to the Future: 2055" Building Challenge, a live, timed championship build-off co-sponsored by LEGO Group and The National Trust for Historic Preservation and held at LEGOLAND(R) California in Carlsbad. Additionally, Macmillan receives two complete collections of 2005 LEGO products -- one to keep, and one to donate to a children's charity in his community, just in time for the holidays.
Fifty years ago, the first LEGO play theme -- Town Plan -- introduced a collectible, compatible brick building system to the market. To commemorate the Golden Anniversary of the LEGO System of Play, the LEGO Group partnered with the National Trust for Historic Preservation to challenge children ages 5-14 to build their vision of a town center of the future, circa 2055. Macmillan, an avid LEGO collector and builder since the age of 2 years old, was one of five children selected from hundreds of entries from all over the United States and Canada to compete for the grand prize.
"What I like about building with LEGO bricks is that you can express your creativity and it's something you can touch, not just on paper," said newly-crowned LEGO Preservation Architect Macmillan. "I don't know what to say. This has been one of the best experiences of my life, it's awesome!"
The four other finalists that competed in Saturday's championship build-off challenge were Ryan Cordwell from Cave Creek, AZ, Joseph Lewis from Houston, TX, Marshall Lu from Richmond, British Columbia and Imagine Rigney from Waianae, HI. Each finalist was placed before an identical stack of LEGO sets, covered from view until the signal was given and the build-off began. The competitors had two hours to demonstrate their extraordinary LEGO building ability, and Macmillan's futuristic Town 100 Community Center earned him the Grand Prize scholarship and title.
Judging the competition were Tim Petsche, LEGOLAND California master model builder, Michael McNally, LEGO Group senior brand relations manager, Miriam Lenett, preservation specialist from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Thomas and David Michon, brothers who combined hold five championship titles from previous LEGO building challenges.
"It is always exciting for us to see the creativity, imagination and skill of our best LEGO builders in action," said McNally. "It's only appropriate that, as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the LEGO System of Play, we challenged our five finalists to build their vision of what LEGO sets will look like 50 years from now in 2055. Competition was fierce, but in the end our judges recognized Nathaniel's model as the most original and well-constructed creation in the field."