Nathanael Kuipers surprised me when the concept car shown at Brickshelf.
I decided to look for more things about their creations. I found a folder full of images moc’s and mod’s very well done. Moc’s made from a set, Nathanael as LEGO Designer as made 8292 Cherry Picker, per example.
I sent him an email to know what was the availability of it for me to answer some questions about their moc’se is not that he accepted !!!!! Of course I was happy.
Hello Nathanael. I thank you deeply your cooperation in this session of questions and answers!
You’re very welcome Americo. I will try to answer the questions as good as I can.
-Tell me a little about yourself, where you are, your occupation, how old are you and what are your hobbies besides LEGO? 30 years ago I was born in The Hague in the Netherlands. After a few years in Denmark I have now moved up north in Scandinavia to Sweden.
Here I work as a product developer in a company called Tectubes, that produces aluminium and plastic tubes in the packaging industry. In my spare time besides LEGO I enjoy to play a videogame or be a bit more active with bowling, skateboarding or playing darts once in a while.
-Did you have a “Dark-Age”?
With ‘Dark Age’ I suppose you mean the period that LEGO wasn’t an active part of my life. Well yes, I have been through that time as well. The ‘darkest’ period was in my teenage years between 16 and 20. School, exams and study were more important at that time.
- Can you tell me how was your process until you reach the LEGO designer?
It’s a rather lengthy story if I include all the details so I try to summarize a bit.
It all started because of my studies industrial design and engineering. My interest in LEGO came back (also because of the more interesting LEGO designs) and I started to experiment with new bought sets like 8458 and 8466. At that point the idea came up if I could get in the LEGO Company for an internship. This was however unsuccessful.
After my studies I applied again and this time was invited for a workshop. Again I was turned down, but learned a lot about the company and their philosophy. From that point I started to buy and build more models which I shared publically on the Internet and with the community that I had discovered.
Eventually I got some interest from LEGO personal who had seen my models. My education, the workshop experience, and particpation in the LEGO Factory competition (I was surprisingly chosen as one of the winners) have likely helped with that as well.
They offered me a freelance project, because they lacked resources and very soon after I started, they offered me a job.
- You have several moc’s have been made from a set, you have done this for some reason in particular, or simply a challenge?
It all started when I didn’t want to mix my LEGO bricks from before and after my ‘Dark-Age’. That meant that I didn’t have so many new sets/ elements to buid with. So it was at that point when I started to build one-set MOC’s. Not only did I find it to be very enjoyable and a nice challenge, but I was also able to show others that you don’t need many elements to be creative and build something cool. I wanted to create models that inspire others, so they had to look as good, but preferably better than official models. Often I had to use unconventional ways of building to achieve something nice, which added another dimension to the challenge.
Sometimes I like to believe that it’s because of some of my models, that have inspired more people to make one-set MOC’s today.
- Do you have a favorite subject, or you do not mind to take up any issue and build?
As a designer I’ve learned that I should be able to design anything that is asked from me. So I don’t mind taking up, and actually appreciate new challenges. Probably my specialty is vehicles, because I’ve always had an interest for those.
-As a designer, what are the worst jobs or shares more complicated to do?
The biggest challenge is to convince others that your design is the best compromise. This might sound strange, but in reality it’s true. There are so many parties involved with their own interests, and you have to try to please them all and make them happy. For example the manager is most of the time only concerned about having the model finished in time within the budget. The marketeer only wants a model that looks cool and will sell. The engineer wants a model with good working functions that doesn’t fall apart. The graphic artist wants a model that is easy to communicate to the public on the box. The building instruction developers main concern is the buildability for the target age. But most important is the end consumer, who should get an excellent experience, from buying the box, to building the model and play with it. You can see that this is not so easy to achieve
- Your style of construction extends system and technic, between the two, what is your favorite?
In my youth I didn’t have much with Technic, and was system my favorite, but since I’ve been working more with the Technic from nowadays, I actually can’t say I like one more than the other. In a way I think the systems complement eachother, but still have their own challenges and ‘rules’. They just ask for a different approach and I like them both.
- The conceptcar is a formidable machine. Can you tell me about the construction?
I tried to build it in the same spirit as the LEGO ‘supercars’ from the past. So in the endresult you get a 5+R gearbox, a V12 that you can either put in the front or rear and an independant suspension system where you can choose to let the V12 power either the front wheels or the rear wheels. All these elements are connected to a framework which is also the main structure of the car.
Because the framework is the central part of the car, I started with this in the development. This is quite different than most times, in which the mechanics are done first. So there was a bit of planning involved where I needed to have the connection points and where important axles would be. Once I had figured that out, surprisingly, it was not that difficult to make the rest of the structure, including mechanical modules.
The most enjoyable bit was saved till last which is the styling of the car. This was done totally freestyle, so no sketches, no real car design, just experimenting with elements. It’s the artistic part after the engineering.
- All of it was built in modules, for some reason in particular?
I had the idea for several years, but never had the time or chance to do it. I wanted to see if it would be possible to make a ‘supercar’ with all the usual mechanics, representing real car manufacturing as close as possible by building it in a similar modular way (so it’s possible to customize), and with the Technic system as we know today. I was inspired a bit by 8448, a set I unfortunately never had, but then going a step further in modularity, where you can design and build other mechanical modules as well. So basically the modulair structure was one of the key concepts for this model.
It would be great if new modules could be presented in the future…
- Did you build the Cherry Picker and is “signed” by you, was the set’s most liked to do?
(I bought 6 like these in the last christmas…)
The Cherrypicker is for me my best official Technic model, because I think I was able to make the least compromises on this model. The challenges I was facing were also bigger and more difficult then with other models. That’s why I’m very happy with the result in which I was able to deal with all the challenges, without compromising too much. Another reason why this model is special to me is because I designed it pretty much from start to finish, from initial concept model to alternative model. When I read then that this model has brought some people out of their ‘Dark-Age’ and has given so many others a nice experience, I feel very fortunate that I was able to contribute to that.
-Do you have other set´s made by you ? If yes , please tell me some few.
My freelance project was the 8674 F1 Ferrari. Further I designed the 8271 Wheelloader and 8261 Rally Truck, and 8272 Snowmobile was one of my concepts. I also designed alternate models for Creator, among which the truck in 4939, the bobcat in 4993, and the hovercraft in 4997. Further I have contributed to several other models in some way.
- After 3 years working for Lego, it was difficult to leave?
It was a very difficult decision. The opportunity came up to try something new, and because working for LEGO was my first official job, I just felt like I had to give this a chance as well. However I would definitely not exclude the possibility of me going back at some point in the future if I get the chance…
-You can talk about this experience?
Up to now I can say that my time at LEGO was the best so far. Many kind people, good atmosphere and nice working conditions. Those things I miss today.
- Who are the AFOL’s most admire?
It’s difficult to mention a few, because there are so many amazing builders out there. Probably I feel most connected to people who have a similar interest or view, because those are the things I can relate to and thus appreciate most. But that wouldn’t be fair to all the other great builders. So instead I won’t mention anyone in particular but have this to say in general:
Any MOC is better than an official LEGO model, as long as it’s made with passion and creativity! 
Nathanael, thank you very much.
Again, it was a pleasure to do this.
I am very grateful for your help and hope to come back to upset another time.
And…SPLASH…PLASH… another hand has hit this blog !!!!
I am 21 and a three year student in mechanical engeenering in engeenering school. I am a French AFOL and come from Haute Savoie. My Lego adventure started in 1995 when I got my first Lego box: the Supercar 8880. It was a revelation and during the next 6 years, I bought all the super sets (one set a year). In January 2007, after my Dark Age, i bought the 8436.
