The Scientist Who is a AFOL
Buildarmy was founded by Dr. Ruibin Zhang, a lifelong LEGO® MOC fan and enthusiast in WW2 movies and vehicles.
Before Buildarmy began, Ruibin was working in the University of Sheffield as a scientific researcher in Materials Science, studying soft matters such as polymers and liquid crystals. One of his hobbies was recreating World War II vehicles in LEGO, which is his favourite way to relax. While running synchrotron X-ray experiments overnight, he often spent the long waiting hours building virtual models in LEGO® Digital Designer.
These early models drew attention on social media, where people admired their accurate proportions and details and began asking if the sets were for sale. Encouraged by the response, Ruibin began selling small batches of tanks online, which were made entirely from genuine LEGO® pieces sourced from places like LEGO pick-a-brick and Bricklink. However, finding all the necessary parts in the UK proved extremely difficult—many were rare, discontinued, or only available in the wrong colours. This made it nearly impossible to produce complete sets consistently.
Everything changed during a trip to China, when Ruibin noticed his nephew playing with local brick brands. The geometry matched LEGO® pieces perfectly, and the quality was surprisingly good. After learning that LEGO®’s core brick patent had expired in 2011, Ruibin began researching manufacturers in China that produced the best LEGO-compatible bricks which are compliant with EU toy safety standards. With this new access, he could finally produce batches of models with the accuracy and detail he had always imagined— and from there, Buildarmy was born.