Random set of the day: House with Roof-Windows
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 1854 House with Roof-Windows, released in 1996. It's one of 24 Town sets produced that year. It contains 144 pieces and 2 minifigs, and its retail price was US$23.
It's owned by 439 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
Help me come to life! If you like the set I've chosen for you today, please pledge your support for me on LEGO Ideas so I have a chance of becoming an official LEGO set!
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48 comments on this article
I mean, yeah.
Yeah.
It definitely is. It’s a house. It’s got the windows. 10/10 set name.
That is indeed a house with roof windows
In all seriousness love the patio umbrella print. It's really cute.
What a great promo set! They don’t really do anything like this nowadays do they? Even the Airline ones?
"Even your kids will be coerced into buying our skylights..." ~Velux CEO, 1996
I bought this! I thought it was really cute.
I have never seen this set before. I have no idea what its architecture is attempting to be, but it definitely has something to it.
Only 24 Town sets released in 1996? That seems low, but I'm not sure if specifically-branded subthemes are being pulled out or if I'm just really bad at guestimating numbers. I suppose if I click on the links, I will find out.
I assume "VELUX" has a meaning to non-Canadians (specifically to Europeans, I'd guess).
I love those window pieces. I wish I'd been able to get more of them. In fact, I'd like to have this whole set, it's got some great pieces Lego doesn't make anymore.
“House with Roof-Windows?” What an odd name. Accurate, yes. But is that supposed to be a selling point? Seems more like an unfortunate, but easily recognizable identifier. Like saying “that dog with the extra toes.”
In any case, not only is it a house with roof-windows, but it’s also a a house with wall-roofs.
This is a great little set that really captures the vibe of the Classic Town villas from the 1980s. It’s surprising that it was released almost a decade later. Even with a low part count, you still get plenty of play value, both inside and out of the house.
The house in the Vestas Wind Turbine 10268 is perhaps the nearest example of a Classic Town-like house in a modern set. While simplistic by modern design standards, little houses like this were ubiquitous in the Classic Town era.
Tons of nice parts in such a small set
I just realized that I have that door in black from my first ever LEGO set 4886!
I think they put the hyphen in the wrong spot, it looks more like a "House-Roof with Windows"
AKA “skylights”. This reminds me of that shirt design that has social mediese terms for animals, like “danger noodle” for snake, or “sea flap-flap” for manta day.
@Formendacil:
I’ve actually seen pictures of homes shaped like this, I think from the boreal European nations. Like an A-frame house, the steep single-sides roof shrugs off heavy snow, so it won’t collapse under the weight. The high wall on one side probably faces south to catch the winter sun.
@CarolinaOnMyMind:
I don’t know about dogs, but extra toes on cats are a selling point, thanks to Ernest Hemingway.
Skylights are high up and meant mostly as a source of natural light. Roof windows you can actually look out of like a normal window.
That house has roof windows!? No way!
@Formendacil said:
"I assume "VELUX" has a meaning to non-Canadians (specifically to Europeans, I'd guess). "
VELUX is a Danish company making roof windows. I had a VELUX window in my room as a child. It provided me with daylight while I was playing with LEGO ??
From their website: "Our distinctive name
is a combination of ‘VE’, short for ventilation and ‘LUX’, Latin for light – VELUX." - This I did not know. It's a bit like "LEGO" - LEg GOdt (Play well).
A friend and I wrote to VELUX to see if we could buy two copies of this set. I don't remember we received an answer. I guess it was five years after the set was released, so probably we wouldn't have any luck anyway.
Surprised no one is questioning the Velux worker giving the woman mail or something. But I assume it’s supposed to be a paper like his business card or the bill for installing the roof-windows.
Velux!
A set I managed to get shortly after my Dark ages ended. Actually a few years later (IIRC) you could still buy this promo set from Velux even if you were overseas...
@Astrobricks:
Poking around, I’m seeing a lot of inconsistency over how the two are differentiated. Mostly it appears that roof windows are considered to be one of several types of skylight. I’ve seen a claim that the key difference is that skylights don’t open while roof windows do, but this ignores the original skylights (an open hole in the roof of ancient buildings like Greece’ Pantheon) and retractable skylights. I saw another claim that the difference is that roof windows are located within reach of the occupant, where opening skylights may require use of a pole or remote control. And on Velux’ own site, they indicate that roof windows differ from other skylights in that they can be used for emergency egress.
By this logic, if you had to reach just overhead to open a sash that’s too high for you to view anything but open sky, I think they would still refer to it as a roof window.
NEW from Lego..."House with Roof-Windows"!
Named by the same Master Set Namer that brought you classics like "Space Jet", "Classic Train", and "My Dad"!
I have been eyeing buying one from a local classified seller. Like new, unused sticker sheet and in box. The only problem is the C$210 price tag!
House With Roof-Windows And No Privacy
@Formendacil said:
[I assume "VELUX" has a meaning to non-Canadians (specifically to Europeans, I'd guess). ]]
So wierd so few people now the reason for the "VELUX"-flag and therefore don't really understand the reason for the name.
Very wierd, actually, since VELUX is world leader for roof windows and the name itself, like cola, has become a product rather then a brand name.
Bought one in '99 directly from the Velux website. Best Town purchase I made that year.
@Norikins Of course he is handing her a bill hahahaha
I wish we still got houses like this. Well, not specifically like this weird looking house but Classic Town style houses with modern pieces etc.
@Rimefang said:
"Bought one in '99 directly from the Velux website. Best Town purchase I made that year."
I have a couple of these like that too. I think they are still sealed.
I hope the woman got a huge discount on her VELUX windows because of that flag she had to put up in her garden.
@Russell844 said:
" @Rimefang said:
"Bought one in '99 directly from the Velux website. Best Town purchase I made that year."
I have a couple of these like that too. I think they are still sealed."
Same here. I liked the set so much at the time, I wound up buying 5 of them to give away as holiday presents and kept a couple. They embody the essence of classic LEGO sets: charming!
@Formendacil said:
"I have never seen this set before. I have no idea what its architecture is attempting to be, but it definitely has something to it.
Only 24 Town sets released in 1996? That seems low, but I'm not sure if specifically-branded subthemes are being pulled out or if I'm just really bad at guestimating numbers. I suppose if I click on the links, I will find out.
I assume "VELUX" has a meaning to non-Canadians (specifically to Europeans, I'd guess). "
VELUX is a company that manufactures windows for sloping roofs, hence their sponsorship of this set that seems to consist of a house made out of their windows.
The Instructions even feature pictures of alternative windows & slopes layouts. Think about it: No stupid colours that ruin any alternative build!
That is so bizzare. This probably is the first set since I started following RSotD, that I didn't know.
This set is one of the better advertisements! Love the name, love the build, love it as a parts pack, don't mind the commercial branding.
1996? It looks more like something from 1976.
Seeing this set makes me want to put windows in my roof. Does anyone know of a reputable company that manufactures roof windows?
@GSR_MataNui said:
"That is indeed a house with roof windows
In all seriousness love the patio umbrella print. It's really cute."
That umbrella print is kind of a classic design that LEGO has featured in a number of sets over the years. I know I’ve got at least a couple of them.
@gunther_schnitzel said:
"Seeing this set makes me want to put windows in my roof. Does anyone know of a reputable company that manufactures roof windows?"
Of course everybody will be shouting "VELUX!!!!!1111oneone" but mine are made by Fakro :)
Imagine if this same naming scheme were applied to sets today, 71736 would be "Black Plane with Shooter and Prison Cell", haha
I always thought this was called "Velux House". That's what I always called it... The set is very cute.
1996??? I thought it was from the 80s! I'm always amazed to see how far LEGO has come over the last 20+ years.
Two-story building with steep sloped roof and skylights? Check.
Picnic table with umbrella and 2 chairs? Check.
Mailbox with letter? Check.
I wonder if this could well be the predecessor or inspiration for 4996 based on how much is similar.
@legodimnico said:
"1996??? I thought it was from the 80s! I'm always amazed to see how far LEGO has come over the last 20+ years. "
Funny how LEGO used to look like LEGO. Nowadays, I’m not so sure :~\
I remember being beside myself with excitement when I discovered this set not only existed, but was STILL AVAILABLE direct from the Velux website in 2003. I bought one posthaste. I still can't believe something so exotic had rested mostly unnoticed for so long. It was like those recurring dreams where you walk into a store and find a whole aisle of discontinued sets available for purchase.
In retrospect, I was a blithering idiot to have bought only one of them.
I have learned things today! About roof-windows! Thanks, all!
This set makes more sense to me now, both in terms of its name and the VELUX branding (and even the architecture, though it still feels like less than half a house), but the name is still very 90s: I feel almost certain it would include the brand-name if it were released today.
@Formendacil @CarolinaOnMyMind @PDelahanty, etc: I wonder if the name in Brickset is drawn from any official source, or if it's just a placeholder. I checked my invoice from Velux back when I ordered this set (complete with international shipping for $25!), and it listed it as "Lego House". I'm pretty sure the box was nameless, as is standard outside North America, but it's buried in the closet right now.
@Formendacil said:
"I have never seen this set before. I have no idea what its architecture is attempting to be, but it definitely has something to it.
"
Pretty sure it’s supposed to reesemble a so called “summerhouse” or “free time house” in Denmark: https://golfhushimmerland.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/corona_pt_ingen_udlejning_2021_ny_ny_forside2-768x420.jpg
Velux indeed is a name people here will reckognize.
@Zander said:
" @legodimnico said:
"1996??? I thought it was from the 80s! I'm always amazed to see how far LEGO has come over the last 20+ years. "
Funny how LEGO used to look like LEGO. Nowadays, I’m not so sure :~\
"
Stylistic evolution does not equal the destruction of identity. I'd argue that we're closer to the true classic LEGO style now than we were in the mid-90s, this set excluded. Modern sets include a larger variety of parts, but they're all designed for in-System versatility.