Some people enter the brick community through retail. Some arrive through design, animation, engineering, or childhood collecting. Wu Yijun's route is stranger and more interesting: agricultural machinery, machine-tool design, construction engineering, childhood Space sets, and then the slow, patient work of bringing builders into the same room.
This article is adapted from a Cool Toys Trend interview with Wu Yijun, also known in the community as Yijun/Yijun, a BRICKWAY community ambassador in Taiwan. Rather than treating the story as a product feature, we wanted to keep the useful part for overseas readers: how a local brick community grows, why offline gatherings still matter, and what adult builders can learn from a team that tries hard to make sharing feel less intimidating.
LEGO is mentioned here only as part of the community context discussed in the source interview. Cool Toys Trend is not affiliated with LEGO.
Quick Take
Wu's story is a reminder that a strong brick community does not start with perfect models. It starts with people willing to bring imperfect work, talk about how they built it, and make room for the next builder to try.
For Cool Toys Trend readers, this is useful even if you are not running a club. If you collect display models, build MOCs, source useful parts, or simply want to stay motivated after a long workday, the same rule applies: the best building culture lowers the pressure to perform and raises the desire to participate.
Why This Story Matters
Adult brick culture often looks product-driven from the outside. New releases, rare parts, display sets, and limited runs get most of the attention. But behind the visible builds is a quieter layer: people who organize tables, answer messages, invite newcomers, manage expectations, and turn scattered fans into a community.
That community work is easy to underestimate. A good offline event can help a builder finally show a model that has been sitting at home for months. A friendly comment can turn a casual parent-and-child builder into a regular participant. A no-pressure sharing culture can do more for creativity than another shelf of unopened boxes.
That is why Wu's interview caught our attention.
From Machinery to Brick Culture
Wu describes himself as an engineer whose "skill tree" grew in several directions at once. He studied agricultural machinery, a field that touches biology, electronics, electrical systems, and mechanical design. After graduation, he worked for about eight years as a design engineer in a machine-tool factory. Later, he moved into construction as a mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineer.
That background makes his brick-building path feel natural. Machines, structures, mechanisms, constraints, and problem solving all sit close to the logic of building.
His first memory with bricks goes back to childhood Space-series sets. With limited parts, he did what many builders still do today: take them apart, rebuild them differently, and see how far one small inventory could stretch. Years later, he returned to bricks partly because he wanted to share that experience with his child.
The family angle mattered. He started attending and hosting small gatherings. More builders joined. Friendships formed. Over time, those meetings became the base for BRICKWAY.
Building a Community Team
According to the interview, BRICKWAY grew out of a central Taiwan brick-fan group founded around 2018. The name was inspired by "Gateway": a connecting point between a network and the people using it. That idea fits the way the team talks about community. The goal is not only to display models, but to connect builders with other builders.
BRICKWAY later applied for recognized community status and received recognition in February 2019. Wu points to one important reason: before applying, the group had already built a record of online and offline activity. In other words, the community did not begin with a badge. It began with actual participation.
Today, the group includes adult fans, families, parents, and younger builders. Wu says the team does not want people to worry too much about whether their work is "good enough." Every build has its own story, and a healthy community should give people space to share before they feel like experts.
That sounds simple, but anyone who has organized a fan event knows it takes work.
An ambassador's job, in Wu's words, includes keeping online spaces active, planning offline gatherings, encouraging creative activities, and communicating with official-side contacts when needed. Offline events are especially demanding: timing, venue, theme, participation, display layout, and follow-up all matter.
There is also an emotional rhythm to it. You plan with excitement, worry when sign-ups are lower than expected, rush through the last details, and then learn from the feedback after people finally arrive.
Lessons for Adult Builders and Event Organizers
The most useful part of Wu's philosophy is not tied to any single brand or region. It is a practical operating system for creative communities.
1. Start before the work feels perfect
Wu's advice to newer builders is direct: do not wait until your creations feel impressive enough. You do not create because you are already great; you get better because you start creating.
That is a strong message for adult builders, especially those who compare their work to polished convention displays or social-media builds. The first public version of a build is rarely the final version. Showing it is part of the process.
2. Build a low-judgment room
BRICKWAY's community ideal is simple: people should be willing to share, and others should avoid careless criticism. That does not mean every build must receive empty praise. It means feedback should keep builders in the room, not push them out of it.
For MOC builders, this matters. A supportive room helps people experiment with unfamiliar techniques, rebuild after failure, and ask for help without feeling embarrassed.
3. Treat offline events like design projects
Good gatherings are designed. They need a clear reason to exist, a workable layout, enough visual variety, and a tone that makes first-time visitors comfortable.
The BRICKWAY team has held regular offline activities, including larger Brick Party events. The 2021 Brick Party, held after pandemic restrictions had eased, reportedly brought together creators from different parts of Taiwan and drew about 3,000 visits over two days. In 2025, the event expanded again, with more exhibitors and guest creators from other regions.
The numbers are interesting, but the deeper lesson is this: a community grows when its events give builders a visible stage and give visitors a reason to return.
4. Use community to reveal creators
One of Wu's future goals is to find more creators through offline meetings and help more people see their work. That is a valuable way to think about community. A local group is not only an audience; it can be a discovery system.
For collectors, this means the event table becomes more than a display. It becomes a map of styles, techniques, and people worth following.
What Cool Toys Trend Readers Can Take Away
If you are a builder, the takeaway is generous and practical: build first, share earlier, and look for people who make the process less lonely.
If you organize events, the takeaway is even more specific: do not only chase scale. Build rhythm, trust, and a culture where newcomers can bring work without fear.
If you mostly collect display models, this still matters. The best sets often become more meaningful when they lead to conversation: why the design works, what parts were clever, what could be modified, and where the idea might go next.
That is the kind of brick culture Cool Toys Trend wants to keep covering: not just what to buy, but what people do with the builds once the box is open.
Related Reads and Shop Paths
- Browse more building culture stories in our Product Guides.
- Read hands-on set coverage in Reviews.
- Learn more about the team behind the shop on the MrKuriosity Official Site.
- Browse current display builds in Shop Products.