Baylor junior designs 5,000-piece LEGO Pat Neff Hall

As a native Wacoan, Stanton Bain grew up planning to attend at Baylor. And like kids everywhere, he grew up piecing together LEGO blocks.

“Even though I was very young at the time, I was able to build even the most difficult sets that the LEGO company had,” says Bain, now a junior at Baylor. “I have a very physical, mechanical mind which has always allowed me to be better at crafts, carpentry and woodwork, and even disassemble and reassemble my car engine and parts with no background in engineering or mechanics.”

After seeing massive LEGO models in different cities, Stanton wondered why his hometown didn’t have its own. So during his sophomore year at Baylor, he began designing his own model of a Waco and Baylor landmark: Pat Neff Hall.

This was a huge undertaking. It involved using his time outside of class to sit outside of Pat Neff Hall and study the building; to print out pictures of aerial shots, close-ups and different angles; to find just the right blocks for accurate shape and scale; and to select pieces worthy of representing the McLane Carillon and Judge Baylor’s statue. Finally, after more than two years of designing, Stanton completed his design – a 34-by-15-by-20-inch masterpiece.

Stanton says he hopes his design can be made into a reality – but with 5,000 pieces (each costing about 20 cents), it’s a bit of a dream for a college student. “I would love to make this real and have it on display for the university,” he says. “This is something that I have always dreamed of leaving as a lasting impact on Baylor, as well as sharing this potential experience with my friends and family to be remembered years from now.”

Sic ’em, Stanton!