Today, I wanted to do something totally different and fun, so I decided to digitally build Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Yep, the whole thing!
First, I gathered a ton of references. I watched the Harry Potter movies again, pausing like a maniac to get good looks at the castle. I also scoured the internet for blueprints, fan art, and even some architectural analyses of the castle. Seriously, people have put some serious thought into this!
Starting the Build
I decided to use a simple block-building game engine, it’s perfect for this type of large structure construction.
- I started with the Great Hall. This was a huge undertaking, I picked a basic long rectangular form and began laying out the foundation.
- Then I worked on the iconic tall windows, and the high, vaulted ceiling. Getting the scale right was tricky, but after a few tries, it looked pretty good.
- Next, I moved onto the towers. The astronomy tower was particularly challenging, with its various levels and that open top. I spent hours just tweaking the curves to make it look right.
Adding Details
Once the main structures were in place, I started adding smaller details. I was so pround of it!
- I put in the courtyards, the moving staircases (though they don’t actually move, sadly), and even tried to recreate the look of the greenhouses.
- I found some cool texture packs online that gave the walls that old, weathered stone look.
- I even tried to build the surrounding landscape, including the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake.
It’s all very blocky, of course, but it gets the general idea across.
The Final Result
After many hours of building and rebuilding, and tweaking, finally, I had my very own Hogwarts! It’s not perfect, and probably not completely accurate, but it was a blast to create. I can now take a virtual walk around the castle whenever I want. It really felt like I was stepping into the movies. It’s surprisingly immersive, even in a blocky, simplified form.
This whole project was a fun way to combine my love for Harry Potter with my love for creating. I was so happy when it finished.
If you’re a Potterhead with some time on your hands, I totally recommend giving this a try!
