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Passion project: Building an airplane, one digital brick at a time

A Boeing mechanic’s love for his job and LEGO® bricks leads to a miniature masterpiece — a virtual rendering of the 737 factory.

March 30, 2026 in Commercial

Matthew spends most of his day in the Everett, Washington, widebody airplane factory where he works as a structures mechanic on the 777X program. But on the weekends, you’ll find him painstakingly recreating the single-aisle 737 factory with LEGO® bricks.

  • Using the LEGO® digital brick building software, Matthew began the project in 2021. “I still have years of work to do on the model,” he said. “But I am really proud of how it’s turning out.”
  • The in-work factory model already contains a LEGO® brick-built 737 MAX airplane. Matthew repurposed existing LEGO® models built by fellow aficionados to create the 737 MAX, making sure to capture the LEAP-1B engines and the signature winglets.

Behind the bricks: Building the factory model has posed a more complicated challenge. First, he used Google Earth to determine the rough dimensions of the 737 Final Assembly building and translate those into LEGO® scale.

  • If the model was built physically, it would take more than 500,000 LEGO® bricks and be about 20 by 30 feet (6 by 9 meters).

Next, he began to gather details about the interior using publicly available photos.

  • “The factory doors are one of my favorite parts,” said Matthew. “They were tricky to get right, but they helped bring it to life.”
The software allows users to see their creations, like the Renton factory doors shown here, come to life brick by brick. (Video courtesy of Blue Dingo Bricks)

Model mechanic: Building with LEGO® bricks Matthew’s passion, but he also sees how it helps him at work every day. “You don’t want a model that just looks good — you want it instantly recognizable” he said. “The same is true with airplanes. Every detail of our build matters to keep them flying safely.”

  • Matthew says he considers this model to be a digital tribute to Boeing craftsmanship, precision and the passion of his teammates across the company.

LEGO® dreams, digital reality: Using virtual modeling software allows Matthew to build LEGO® structures without the cost of the bricks — which for a project like the 737 factory would run into tens of thousands of dollars. Ever since he was a teenager, he has designed and built virtual LEGO® models — including one of Seattle’s Sound Transit passenger trains, a Siemens S700 LRV.

  • He hopes to build one of his models in real life one day. “Even if it’s only one stop on the production line, that would still be 8 feet by 8 feet. (2.5 by 2.5 meters) But I think it would inspire kids and maybe even spark an interest in aerospace.”

With plenty of building left to complete, Matthew said he will turn his attention to bringing the factory to life with vehicles — tool carts, forklifts and more.