Vancouver man creates awesome Lego replicas of local landmarks

VANCOUVER – They call themselves AFOLs and Johnathon Vaughn became an Adult Fan Of Lego about a year-and-a-half ago, when a friend started posting pictures of a Lego van he was building.

“I went down to the Lego store at Oakridge and I bought the box, brought it home and built my own VW van,” Vaughn said. “And that’s when I went down the rabbit hole and became intrigued with Lego.”

Since then, Vaughn had built his own pieces, or MOCs (My Own Custom) in Lego-speak. He built replicas of local landmarks like Save On Meats, the Gastown steam clock, and Blood Alley. Soon after he built a replica of Pacific Central Station near Terminal Avenue, he caught the eye of VIA Rail.

“It was adorable when they called because they were worried I had already deconstructed the piece,” Vaughn said.

They were so thrilled with it, Vaughn is giving them the Lego building for their upcoming 100-year anniversary.

For Vaughn, the fun is in the building.

“I am a process-driven individual. I enjoy the creativity and making as a builder and a designer. So when someone asks me what’s my favourite piece, I always say the ‘next one’.”

Vaughn says he usually gets bored of his hobbies after a couple of years. But he still plans for more Lego creations. His most ambitious project will see him replicate big chunks of his favourite neighbourhood — Gastown.