MOC project: a LEGO model of the Maastro radiation bunker

This blog was written by Dutchbricks member Stefan Govers.

Last year, the Dutchbricks newsletter featured a request from the Maastro clinic in Maastricht to build a Lego model of their radiation bunker. This seemed like a fun project to me, so I contacted them via Dutchbricks.

Maastro is a medical clinic that provides radiotherapy treatment. For many people, this is not a pleasant place to visit. It can also be a traumatic experience for families with young children, as many children do not fully understand why their mum or dad has to go there and why they are not allowed to accompany them. Some Maastro employees therefore came up with the idea of using Lego to explain this process to these children, using a model of the treatment room, the equipment and a figure representing the patient. Hopefully, this will reassure the children and help them better understand what exactly is going to happen.

With a map of the bunker and a few photographs, I set to work. At the end of the day, after the last patient had been treated, Maastro invited me to take a look inside one of the bunkers. It was immediately clear why the treatment room was called a bunker: with walls almost a metre thick (to block the radiation), it was not exactly a pleasant place to be. Nevertheless, every effort had been made to make the whole atmosphere a little more pleasant, with colourful decorations, murals and personal guidance.

I recreated the model as faithfully and to scale as possible. The treatment room features various details such as storage cupboards and shelves. The radiation machine is, of course, the centrepiece. Three different machines are used, all of which have been recreated and can be easily exchanged in the room. This means that the model can be used for any treatment.

The changing rooms can also be reached via a U-shaped corridor system, and a little further on is the control room with two radiotherapy technicians who carry out the treatments.

I first created the design digitally. After collecting all the bricks, the model could finally be built! Maastro was extremely satisfied with the end result. The entire structure was exactly like the real thing, and with the figures included, the model could be used perfectly for its intended purpose. The biggest question was whether they would put the model in the office after all!

A great result for a fun assignment.

Stefan Govers