LEGO.com Factory : Competitions and Winners : Neal McClatchey

Competitions and Winners

A year has passed since eight LEGO enthusiasts were selected as the winners of the first LEGO Factory Design Competition. We recently talked to these designers and found that they’re still big on building – and proud to see their models being sold as real LEGO sets. Check out the designer profiles and their great models below!

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Neal McClatchey | 13 | Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA

Nickname:
Neal-the-Builder
Motto:
Original creator

As a busy ninth-grader, Neal McClatchey doesn’t have quite as much time for building as he did last year - when three of his entries were chosen as LEGO Factory design winners. But Neal’s success with LEGO Factory has influenced his thinking about a future career: "I think I’d like to become an engineer," he says.

Being chosen as a design winner was a big thing for Neal. "I was really surprised!" he says - adding that it was a lot of fun to be acknowledged for his success at school. He also enjoyed seeing his family and friends order the special LEGO Factory set that contains his award-winning models (see below).

Planning is the key
When asked whether there was any secret to his design success, Neal explains: "I think it’s really important to plan your model carefully." Sometimes he even prepares drawings of a new model to help test his ideas and guide him through the building process. But sometimes not even detailed planning can guarantee success: Neal’s most ambitious model yet – an elaborate cave design – is still in need of that final stroke of engineering genius that will help Neal bring it from the drawing board to reality. Design on, Neal!

	Pirates ahoy! LEGO Pirates is one of my favorite themes, so I’ve made a micro version of the Black Sea Barracuda. It’s very similar to the original. It has all of the people, a gangplank, an island, and a treasure chest.
	Let’s go skiing This model has a ski lift, two ski jumps, two skiers, some snow boarders, and a frozen pond with an ice skater. I think it’s a very fun set that kids can play with over and over again.
	Five star LEGO hotel I decided to make a modern five star hotel. It has an elevator, several cars and a walkway that connects two buildings. It was fun to try and make the diagonal walkway fit.