Building with wonder

5 THINGS ABOUT LEGO SAM PHIL

Xavier Moran ’26 and Lucy Heyd ’26 spent the past year recreating one of Andover’s most iconic campus buildings with LEGO bricks. Measuring about 7 feet long, 2.5 feet tall, and a foot wide, their model of Samuel Phillips Hall, which will be on display in George Washington Hall, includes a few surprises—and plenty of student ingenuity.

1. The idea began across the Atlantic. While visiting the National Library of Ireland in Dublin, which holds the world’s largest collection of W.B. Yeats manuscripts, Moran spotted a LEGO model of the historic building. Back on campus, he teamed up with Heyd, and they set out to build their own Sam Phil replica.

2. Building from scratch was a treasure hunt. Moran and Heyd could not simply order a giant LEGO kit—because one didn’t exist. With the help of a $4,200 Abbot Academy Grant, the pair sourced 22,000 individual bricks from 12 countries.

3. Every detail tells a story. Peer through the windows of the building’s right wing and you’ll spot students studying, taking tests, and a teacher at a desk. Moran’s favorite feature? The intricate clock tower—the most elaborate part of the entire build. “We wanted the model to feel alive,” he says.

4. Engineering was the real challenge. The students spent three months creating the digital design and another nine months constructing the physical model. Once construction began, weight, tension, and gravity introduced problems no computer model could predict, demanding careful problem-solving, repeated revisions, and patience!

5. It’s meant to inspire a second look. The LEGO model is designed to encourage others to see Andover’s campus with fresh eyes. “We hope the model reminds you that even the most familiar places can continue to spark curiosity, creativity, and wonder,” Moran says.